No Alternative
by Mercaba
Summary: When something other than the angels start attacking Tokyo-3, Shinji finds himself drafted into a fight he doesn't understand or belong to. But when their is nobody else to fight, you take what you got.
1. Chapter 1

Standard Disclaimer

Wanting to have another odd funny story as I've two serious stories going on. So this is going to be a hodge-podge of things. Try not to take it to seriously and get a nice laugh on. Work is going well, I've a mentee that is kind of useless but maybe in time she'll get better. Oh well that's life.

X-X

No Alternatives

Chapter – 1

Getting out of the bath, Shinji Ikari dried and dressed himself under Misato's hanging undergarments. When he first moved in seeing the provocative and alluring bits of cloth, all tantalizing colors and only a few cotton based, left him frazzled. Now he just saw them and realized he'd have to hand clean them again soon. Misato wasn't good at homelife, left it all to him. He didn't mind though, she was one of the only reasons he stayed in this city. Putting on his school cloths, he let plans for what to cook for breakfast fill his mind.

A solid two weeks after the last angel, they called it the Fifth for some reason, Shinji was getting used to his life again. Tokyo-3 wasn't a good place, but he had nothing else. Friends were few, but he enjoyed talking with Touji and Kensuke. Misato was the closest thing to family, his father wasn't going to change into a loving man anytime soon or at all. But Misato was fun to be around, when she wasn't to drunk and teasing. Rei…well Shinji didn't want to think much about the mysterious blue haired girl or her bewitching smile. "Gods she should smile more," or he wished he could have gotten a picture of it.

"You're not doing anything indecent in there are you Shinji-kun?" Misato's voice wafted through the door. It was teasing-voice number three, subtle ribbing of hormones and sexuality. Misato had many teasing voices, Shinji started counting them. Some he could deal with, while others were…well he was a growing boy. This wasn't that bad of a tease though, still it flustered. "Want your Misa-chan to come in and help?" Misato ramped it up to five, blatant offerings just to mess with him.

Throwing the door open, face red and warmed to the point he felt light headed, Shinji found Misato in her morning cloths waggling a beer can. "Misato-san don't say things like that! And you know I wasn't doing anything so stop teasing," Shinji stammered. Green top that just barely covered her ample chest, tiny short shorts with hints of the pink lacy bits sticking up…yeah a great role model. Rolling his eyes, Shinji tried to reign in his hormones, "Misato-san you need to be careful. What if we got a morning visitor or something?"

Walking past the lad, accidentally or not brushing against his side, Misato just waved him off. "I've got you to answer the door and protect me," she giggled as she used her foot to shut the door. "Going to take my bath if you left me warm water and you did clean the tub after you finished right?" the sound of her flimsy clothing hitting the ground was apparent.

Breath in and out in steady cycles, don't let her jokes get to you, just realize in the end its all in fun. Hard, but doable, Shinji didn't take the bait. "I'll get started on breakfast while you get ready. And you have to stop hanging your delicates like that or they'll tear again," he didn't want to go through THAT again. She had left a few choice pieces in his room with a note to patch them up. Why he had told Misato he could sew he never knew. Now he was at her beck and call as a seamstress.

"You're no fun, Shin-chan," Misato cracked the door and stuck her tongue out. "What is wrong with a woman trying to keep the spice in her relationship. I have to keep your attention or you'll fall for those teenagers that are throwing themselves at you," she shut the door again.

Girls, Shinji didn't want to think about girls. No real reason to think about them, best to not get his hopes up. He waited for another comment or joke, when he heard the water he knew Misato was done teasing for the moment. Going about making a simple breakfast, his thoughts turned dark. Stupid depression, Misato didn't know her comments hurt sometimes. Girls…they'd not really like him for him. Who would? He was plain looking, a little scrawny, and all he really had going was he was a pilot. Even that wasn't something he wanted but was thrust on him. No, that avenue of life was barred from him. But it gave him time to do other things at least.

Turning the burner on low, best to let the broth simmer while Misato took her bath, Shinji retreated to the living room. Turning on the news, he checked the little ticker on the screen and saw he still had two hours before he had to leave for school. Misato had the morning shift at Nerv, so they'd eat breakfast together. A good way to start the day. Touji's comment about Misato showing him 'her real self' made Shinji clear up a little. So what if his life sucked, he wasn't alone anymore. Chores and teasing were a small price to pay to stave away the loneliness.

"Another report of violence on the streets today. Eye witnesses say a monster attacked several young women only to be fought off by a group calling themselves the Sailor Senshi. This makes for the fifth time…" the news reporter droned on but Shinji turned off the station.

Attacks from monsters? Was that even possible? Shinji had been paying attention to those reports more frequently. In the small town he lived before with his teacher, they hardly got news of these 'magical girls' and the debate if they really existed raged on. He doubted it, why would monsters keep attacking Tokyo-3? What was so special about this town other than Nerv, and none of the attacks were aimed at the base anyway! Still, it would be interesting if they did exist, monsters aside. Sailor Senshi, Pretty Cure, Knights Sabers, and many others just kept popping up in the news. Urban legends, had to be.

With one last look at the black screen, Shinji chortled as he wafted back to the kitchen to finish cooking. "It's all a joke. Has to be," he just couldn't accept it. People in costumes trying to be criminals and others matching to be freedom fighters or something. Setting down a nice plate of smoked sardines for Pen-Pen, Shinji scratched the bird's head just as Pen-Pen liked. A deep throaty wark that almost sounded suggestive made Shinji pull his hand back fast. That's when he felt the arms around his waist and water dribble on his back, "Misato-san you're going to get my cloths all wet."

"But you looked so deep in thought I had to try and see what you were up to," she cooed softly into his ear. Lifting herself up and dragging Shinji up with her, Misato demonstrated she wasn't just a pretty face and had a good amount of strength in her. "So what's for breakfast, and why are you so pensive this morning?" the switch was flipped and Misato went from flighty to serious. She always got serious when Shinji had 'that look' as she called it on his face.

Fixing both plates for them, Shinji set the table with a small shrug. 'The look' was just him concentrating or a little depressed. How she could tell was mystifying, but Shinji wouldn't comment. "Just another news report about an attack on teenagers by 'monsters'. Two girls the same age as me, they said they were saved by the 'Sailor Senshi'. Nerv know anything about that?" he'd not put it past Nerv. They did some really odd things, maybe it was some attempt to distract the populace?

Scooping Pen-Pen off the floor and setting him in her lap, quite the enviable position, Misato rested her chin on the birds head. "That's all bullshit, Shinji-kun. Not worth our time. Some stupid freaks are playing dress up games in the street to get their rocks off is all. And all those reports of various groups fighting them are thrill seekers if they even exist. I've seen enough crap in my life to know shit like that is all lies. Media just wants to distract us from the real matters," she came off angry, reproachful. Picking at her food, she popped the can of beer Shinji had left for her and shuddered as she drank it.

"I thought so too, but thought I'd ask," and Shinji wasn't going to ask again. He had seen Misato angry before, had been the cause of it after the Forth angel, and she had that devil in her eye. It threatened the unpleasant and cruel teasing if pressed or worse genuine fury. It was just a silly news story, yet Misato was fuming and destroying her food without her normal banter. Shinji just watched as Misato dissected her fish with a cold and calculated wrath. Best to let her go, "S-so how are things at work? U-unit-00 repairs going well?"

Sadly Shinji's attempt at changing the topic failed, as Misato slammed her chopsticks down. "And to make matters worse people are really buying to that whole fucking bullshit! Can you honestly tell me you believe there are women running around in power armor, or able to create magic to fight tentacle monsters? Its stupid! And yet Fuyutski is asking me to keep tabs on them! I'm all for cosplay, but it supposed to end in the bedroom or conventions! Not dumb kids in the street playing hero, they're going to get hurt or worse!" Misato wasn't looking at Shinji anymore. Pen-Pen warked and patted the woman's thigh…lucky bird.

Gathering up his plates and Misato's, Shinji just nodded and busied himself. "That must be annoying," escape route three, agree with everything! Misato rarely got this fixated on anything, well when sober, and Shinji wasn't tempting the whirlwind. Just smile and nod, say 'yes' and 'you're right' until those chocolate eyes lost their edge and the smile returned. If it got worse he'd use escape technique number two and run. Running the faucet his conscious got the better of him, "Anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you know who those kids are and can tell them to knock it off," Misato's rage deflated, the balloon untied and allowed to fly about the room. Wood on tile scratched as Misato got up, "I should get headed in early, if you did see a report it means they'll want my opinion of it. And if these attacks are real you should stay in at night for awhile. No going to your girlfriends houses or your friends place."

Scrubbing the pot, stupid cooked on sludge was terrible to get off at times and Shinji almost swore at it, he dropped it in sink and splashed himself. Great, where Misato hadn't gotten him, he got himself, "The reports say they're only targeting girls, Misato-san. I think I'll be fine." Yes he was a little feminine looking, but nobody would confuse him for an actual girl. Right?

"But you're so cute, they might make an exception," Misato ran a finger down Shinji's spine. He dropped the pot again and finished the job of taking a second bath. "But in all seriousness Shinji-kun, don't go out at night for awhile. It's not monsters, but somebody is doing something, and I can't…we can't afford to lose you," the genuine sincerity in her voice went to her eyes that shined with concern.

How odd was it, that a few months ago Shinji wouldn't have cared if people acknowledged his existence, but now somebody cared. With a nod, his throat was a little clogged all the sudden, "Sure thing, Misato-san. You be careful to. They might go after you too, you know." Misato was an achingly beautiful woman, any freak that would attack a teenager would attack her. But Misato was armed and a capable fighter.

"Ah, you really are a charmer Shinji-kun," Misato's voice echoed through the apartment. "Keep talking like that and I'll have to worry about walking in on you with somebody. But I'll take the compliment. See you tonight." A few warks from Pen-Pen later and the door shut leaving Shinji alone to change again.

Yup, another wonderfully confusing morning with Misato. A slob, couldn't cook, teaser, and with a foul mouth that was filled with booze, if only Touji and Kensuke could see their goddess as Shinji did. They'd not care, Shinji was aware of that. They just saw the body and were swayed by that, while Shinji saw Misato as a person. A flawed and strange one, but one he'd gladly live with. Until she lost her need for him, or he messed up, so he tried his best to not get TOO attached. But he failed miserably, he wanted some affection in his life. Was starved for it, but would never admit that. To admit he wanted something was the first step in losing it.

After pouring Pen-Pen another beer, how the bird lived was Shinji's wildest guess but who was he to blame, Shinji changed his shirt and headed to school. Talks were going on about the latest attack, mostly boys gabbing about it. A picture from a security camera was being passed around by Kensuke. Who else would have hacked into secure areas for pictures. Shinji was tempted to ask if Kensuke tried hacking Nerv for pictures of Misato, but sagely didn't. Anytime Shinji mentioned a girl it was open season for his friend to pounce. He was still living down the time the caught him 'peeping' at Rei. Rei…Shinji wanted to talk to her, but the elusive girl was still at Nerv under observation.

"You see the news this morning, Shin-man?" Touji was amped up as usual. Passing Shinji the print-out the moment the boy sat, Touji was leering at the quartet of girls across the room. "New troupe showed up, five of them! And man they're all lookers. Me I'd take that blonde without the twin-tails," Touji slapped the linoleum covered image. His finger smudged over the forth girl in the picture, clad in a strange parody of a sailor fuku with orange trim, the woman in question had long flowing blond hair. The others were in equally short skirts and color coated.

Well that answered that question, Shinji wouldn't even bother asking. Yes his friends believed in these so called magic girls. But Shinji wouldn't lie, his friends were more lead by their crotch than anything. A trait Shinji was glad he didn't share with them, he'd never have to worry about failing to please a woman. His little friend would likely never see anything but solo-practice, and Shinji was ok with that. Not having that fear was good. "I heard about it. Misato-san thinks its all lies or thrill seekers. Just hope nobody gets hurt," nobody deserved to get hurt.

"Well Misato-san will have to accept it as true once we get some real proof of them. I mean you can't fake those mass suicides that are going on. And did you hear that a lot of military grade weapons were stolen a few days ago?" Kensuke was in full conspiracy mode. And what all good theorists love is a captive audience, and Kensuke had two of them. Soon Shinji was affronted with tales of the plethora of named groups in the city. Some were magic, others technology based, but always female. And of course Touji bet that all of them were lookers…it was stupid. It was impossible. Shinji wasn't falling for it. The more he heard the more he thought it was just another strange city thing he'd never get used to.

X-X

Driving in to Nerv, Misato was torn. She hated lying to Shinji, she really did, but she didn't really have a choice right now. They didn't know what those things were that were attacking the city, had no clue at all. Nor did Nerv know much about those that were fighting the oddities, only that they had access to things Nerv desperately wanted. To tell Shinji about it though would just complicate matters. If those new forces became enemies of Nerv, he'd have to fight them. If he thought they were people, kids his own age, he'd balk and falter. Misato couldn't let that happen, even though she'd want to.

"Images of one of the so-called Sailor Senshi has been circulating around the net as of this morning. Adding this to the artist rendering of the Jewel Knight, it brings the count of physical…" the woman on the radio prattled on, but Misato turned on a CD. A peppy J-Pop tune started playing, Misato's fingers danced along with the beat as she swerved her car about. A couple of near hits and heavy stops on the counts of those around her, Misato put the fear of the driving gods into people.

Aiming at cans on the ground, Misato continued to keep score of her crush count. "What are those damn kids doing, what are they?" she grit her teeth down shifted. Abominations and freaks, Misato wanted to know what they were and what they were really after. Nerv had suppressed nearly all of the captured footage of all the known groups. Magic, martial arts expertise, super advanced technology, the gambit of powers went the full spectrum. None of it made sense to Misato, or what they were looking for. Hard breaking, Misato's car spun in a wide arc nearly clipping Makoto, she parked perfectly into her spot. "Friend or foe," she wanted to know.

Wiping his brow, Makoto was pale and trembling from his near hit, yet he stayed waiting for Misato. Waving shakily at the woman, "Katsuragi-san, g-good morning. Did you hear the news about the latest group?" The parking garage was empty so felt it acceptable to stand closer to the woman. Re-affixing his collar, it had popped when he fell back from the oncoming car, he wasn't disheveled. "Ibuki-san said the Magi were able to get most of the footage commandeered," he had that smugness about him. Makoto had been involved in the algorithms used in the media black-outs of these groups.

"Most is not ALL footage, Makoto-kun," Misato's finger curled under the man's chin. Any details getting out was bad, and here Makoto was gloating about failing! They could cover the fact that the Eva's accidentally caused three unfortunate cases, yet they couldn't keep images of skimpily clad women off the net. Pinching the man's waddle, hard, Misato felt that rush as he winced and tears came to his eyes, "It was on the radio and the news already. What are we going to do about that lapse?"

Trying to be manly, Makoto was fighting his natural inclination to tear up and break away from the pain. Misato's nails bit deep but not cutting, so Makoto kept pace with her…more he was dragged along side of her. "It's just a picture and blurry if I recall. We don't have to worry about it. But personally what do you think of this new group? It's another group of five," he freed himself as he hit the elevator button.

Wimp, Misato's mind teased mentally. Makoto was a good man, but he just was too easy to goad. While she had endless fun playing and teasing Shinji, Makoto just didn't have the same appeal t her. Makoto tried to hard to get into her pants, and Misato could see it seeping off of the man. Shinji though, Misato couldn't figure the boy out at times, but that just made it more fun. Odd how didn't think she was going to enjoy living with him at first, he was so pensive and worried all the time. But that just made their time together more enjoyable! He was a puppy that responded to everything! Maybe she teased him to much because she loved watching him squirm and hoped it'd help bolster his confidence.

"So you two finally decided to show up?" Ritsuko was in the elevator cab when it opened. Hair dripping with water, feet bare, and her swimsuit on under her coat, it wasn't a question where Ritsuko came from. Doing Misato a favor, Ritsuko stood between Makoto and her, a human shield. Shaking her head like a dog, getting both wet, Ritsuko took pleasure in their annoyance. That snideness was evident as she continued, "Any reason you two are late when we have a minor emergency going on? Ibuki and Aoba's little media blackout plan seems to be failing."

Going rod stiff, Makoto's heels clipped on the ground as he rocked back hard. "W-we didn't do anything at all! I was late because I had to help my landlady with her garbage," his glasses started to slip down.

Praying some girl realized Makoto wasn't a bad guy and took up the man as a boyfriend, Misato felt sorry for him. "I can vouch for him getting in at the same time as me. I had to have a little talk with Shinji-kun about these magical girls. The news won't shut up about them, and they had that image to show about this morning. He's…getting nervous and asking questions," she dreaded when things got out of hand. What if they WERE evil and they had to use Unit-01 against them? Normal humans seemed to weak to stop them. Bullets didn't stop some of them, as per the videos they seemed. Without some drastic changes, the Eva were the only option.

"T-thank you Katsuragi-san," Makoto's earnest confession was palpable. They all fell into silence as the elevator descended deeper into the underground base. The same song Misato heard in the car played over the intercom just without lyrics. Tapping his foot along with the song, he bobbed his head, "S-so what did you tell him? Ayanami-kun knows about them, shouldn't we tell him as well?"

Whirling on Makoto, Ritsuko advanced in her patented silent stalking. A heavy thud of head on metal, Makoto backed up against the wall as Ritsuko stood disapprovingly right in front of him. Either ready to kiss him or rip his face off with her powerful jaws, Ritsuko was a praying mantis. "What did we tell you about mentioning that? You are not to speak about how Ayanami knows about that. Do we have to have a disciplinary hearing again?" why did Ritsuko say the would discipline with such affection?

"Ok, Ritsuko put it back in the bag or I'm going to tell the commanders why you're late for this emergency meeting," Misato rolled her eyes. Having known Ritsuko in college, she knew of her odd tendencies. Kaji never knew what hit him when Ritsuko broke out the whip, a little sadism went a long way. Professor of Pain Ritsuko Akagi loved to watch men squirm… Making a mental note to NEVER have Ritsuko watch over Shinji without her around, Misato didn't want to explain the marks.

Without turning away from Makoto, Ritsuko just flipped her hand over and her shoulders sagged just a tiny bit. "You're no fun sometimes Misato, no fun at all. But seriously Makoto-kun, be careful when talking about these things. Only the command staff and Ayanami know about these aberrations. And you know what they say about loose lips," NOW Ritsuko turned to look at Misato and her eyes went south of the border.

"Oh you're just being a bitch! You know that isn't…" no Misato wasn't going to take the bait. She was tight as a teenager, at least the told herself that. Leaving the frazzled Makoto in the cab, the door shut and he was still lost in some fugue in the corner. "I think we broke him a little bit. Funny how Shinji-kun can handle those better than he can," she hiked her thumb at the door.

Shaking her head again, more water splashing everywhere, Ritsuko's feet slapped on the ground. "I think Shinji-kun is just desensitized to it. With how you are at home, he's built of a tolerance I bet," she grabbed a sucker and put it in her mouth. Oral fixation going wild as it was oft to, Ritsuko chewed the red candy hard, "So what did you tell him about those girls?"

Finding the meeting room empty, Misato let out a sigh of relief, being late for these was tantamount to a citation. "I told him they were lies, that they were likely just odd people in costume. What else could I really tell him now?" Misato hated hackers. If she ever go her hands on the person that got those pictures and let them out, she'd squeeze until the eyes popped out! Finding a nice seat at the end of the table, never good to get flanked by people, Misato hoped the meeting would be over fast so she could get a coffee. Her eyes felt heavy as she sat, stupid late nights on the net, she rested her hand on her palm, "I did tell him not to go out at night though."

More crunching, Ritsuko wasted no time in destroying her candy, "Guess that's safe to say. Even if you say they're just perverts, they still go out at night. But he is a boy…a cu-feminine boy, but he could be a target. Unlike you or I, they don't seem to be aiming for people older than eighteen." The door swished open and Maya and Shigeru entered, both with cups of coffee that made Misato green with envy and hate. "Hey you two, did you see Makoto-kun anywhere?" no hint of shame was ever entertained.

"He was muttering something in the elevator. Best not to get involved with that," Shigeru sat down just a little to close to Misato. The woman leaned over and snatched his coffee, when he went to take it back, she laced him with a stare and he wilted back with a shrug. Now coffeeless, "Ran some damage control on these Senshi. We got their names off the same video that the leak came from. Named after planets this time, better than those zodiac ones and the color ones."

Sipping the pilfered drink, Misato blanched at its bitterness. Who took their coffee black anymore? With sugar and cream so cheap and available nobody should have this nasty tasting stuff! But she took it so she would have to drink it. "So we have planets, fruit, color, zodiac, and those battle suits. Why are they coming to this city anyway?" Misato really wanted to know. Threat analysis was something of a specialty of hers, and from first blush none of these groups were working together or for a common goal.

"That is why we are here right now, Katsuragi-kun," Fuyutski said as he entered the room. As per standard when the magical girl debate came up, Gendo was not around, Fuyutski was the one that cared the most. Flipping on a screen and shutting off the lights, "It seems Aoba is not here, no matter. We're going to be changing our stance on these groups soon." He pulled up the full video from the previous night and played it.

The video was brief, only three or four minutes long, but it was full of mind numbing facts. A young girl, short black hair, was leaving a grocery store with bag of food. As she walked, increasing her pace as the lights started going out, a shadow trialed her. As she got to an alley, a lumpy armed purple monstrosity had its arms elongate and wrap around her. The girl went into the air, her groceries fell to the ground. Sadly the creature's speech was to garbled to understand, but its intents were pretty clear. Tattered clothing soon rained down, but then the five newest oddities made their presence known. Various elemental attacks rained out, and the creature soon was reduced to some sort of crystal that the group took and left.

When the lights came back on, the video froze on a blond girl with a massive twin-tail holding the crystal, Misato tried to fathom the practicality of that hair. So much hair would be so hard to manage! From head to near ground, how much time was spent maintaining it? Couldn't they find the girl just on shampoo purchases alone? And didn't those girls get embarrassed with those short skirts? When the blown haired one, Jupiter apparently, kicked it showed everything! Plus those kids had way to large of busts for their height. Maybe a magical girl's powers came from her bust or something. Would explain a lot.

"So what are we going to do about these girls, Fuyutski-san? We don't know what they're doing or why?" Misato asked as handed Shigeru back his empty cup. It took effort to choke down all that vile caffeine but she had needed it. "Friend or foe, what do we consider them?" she wanted friend or nothing, not foe. How would she look in one of those costumes? Wouldn't it be a laugh to dress up like one of them and just startle Shinji with it! Pretend to be one just to see his reaction, he'd hemorrhage!

Drumming her fingers over the desk, Ritsuko was reclining back heavily in her chair, one hand behind Maya's chair, and another around Shigeru's. "I say we try and capture one of them. While we are still denying they exist try and capture them to talk to them. If we openly admit they are a thing, we could put an open letter out to them. Until we understand their goals more, its best to keep this hush-hush," she had another sucker in her mouth and was crunching.

Nodding the old man smoothed back his silver hair, "We have to assume they are enemies until proven otherwise. With those powers we have to be careful. I'm ordering Section-2 to start additional patrols until we learn more. Both pilots will have an additional detail on them at nights. Though it is unlikely needed for the Third Child if trends continue."

"Can we try bringing in the girls that were attacked so we can question them? Maybe we could find a theme or trend between them?" Maya rubbed her back against her chair. Rolling her own cup between her hands, she didn't seem quite comfortable in the room, she was the newest member to be brought into the fault. "Y-you never know if they might have learned something from those creatures might have said something. Or maybe the girls said something to them after saving them," Maya's eyes were frantic and danced from person to person looking for acceptance.

Throwing Maya a bone, Misato knew how it was to be the new girl in the power meetings, "That sounds like a good idea. You two get started on that, and if you can find Makoto get him to help you. I'll keep working on Unit-00's repair requests. Ritsuko you give the press release a look over, no doubt they want to know Nerv's stance on this new group. Our stance is we don't have one until we have definite proof." Man she hated being serious in the morning. She joined Nerv to get revenge on the angels, not to deal with these odd girls that started popping up. A long day was ready for her, she'd call Shinji and tell him she'd not be back until late. Maybe she'd ask him to make something good for her to eat when she got home. He'd not mind.

X-X

Walking at a brisk pace, Shinji tried to remind himself that he was being silly. All of the attacks were against girls, and he had nothing to worry about. Though it was the first night that Misato had told him to be in by dark and he had already broken that little rule. Not that it mattered, he kept telling himself, he had those Section-2 people watching over him! Didn't calm his nerves as he walked under the street lights though. A good day turned a little fearful from his ignorance and wanting to please.

Touji and Kensuke wanted to hang out after school. Nothing super important, some arcade time, a meal out, and finally some television at Touji's. That all went good, well except for Kensuke's insistence they eat at 'Anne Millers' a maid café. Such places weren't really Shinji's cup of tea, he didn't want to lust after impossible figures of older girls like his friend did. And boy did they, Touji and Kensuke were practically salivating over their buxom blonde haired sever, who looked about ready to bolt. Thankfully Shinji kept the peace and insured the poor girl that his friends were harmless.

After the tokens were spent, the food was eaten, and the shows watched Shinji returned home to see Misato's message about food. Since the meal at the café had been rather wanting, places like that weren't known for quality of food rather the servers, Shinji hit the street again. With the nearest grocery store a good thirty minutes away, Shinji thought he had time. His luck was not to be though, as a special sale made the lines extraordinary long. Misato would understand if he didn't cook her requested food, she even said as such, but Shinji wanted to make it for her. It was how he could show he cared, words weren't his forte, but doing the chores were good for it.

"And now I'm almost out of money for the week. Those two need to pay more often," Shinji swung his bag as he hustled. They meant well, but his buddies didn't have jobs so often let Shinji pay for everything they did. And after their abhorrent behavior toward Karin their server, Shinji felt the girl earned a larger tip than normal. Poor girl really was near tears with all the attention. Laughing a little to try and ease his troubled mind, "Girl like that shouldn't be working at a place like that." Touji said something about her being a year ahead of them and actually in high school.

The silence of the evening was broken when several trash cans fell with a mighty clang. Shouts and guttural sounds vibrated in the empty night air. Not far away, down an alley back towards the shopping arcade.

Drawing his hand up to his chest, Shinji felt a chill go down his spine and lock his feet in position. "A-a fight? I shouldn't get involved," he wasn't a fighter, not out of his Eva anyway. He'd just get in the way, best to just forget he heard anything and head home.

But he couldn't, and soon found himself much against his perceived nature going down the alley. "This is stupid! What am I thinking," he whispered hotly to himself yet kept walking. The voices were still to soft to make out, but more banging of trash bins were heard. Not the small cans he used in the apartment, no these were the large metal bins he dumped his trash into outside the building. Anything that could move those things was far outside of Shinji's weight category. And yet his feet kept moving forward…one after another…step…step…

"Nearly got me, woman. Never fought a human as skilled as you, lucky for me you tripped," it was a heavy and gravely sound. Not a human voice, far from it. "Now though, you're more my liking…going to have some fun with you before I bring you in," the sound of tearing cloth filled the stillness.

A weapon! Shinji knew he'd need something, anything to fight off whatever was doing this. "I should call for help, get Section-2 or something," but what happened while he ran? There wasn't time for him to go for help, he had to act now or forever live knowing he let somebody get hurt when he could help. "I mustn't run…I-I," but he never wanted to run more than he did right now. The pipe, half the size of himself, felt like it weighed a ton as he held it with both hands. A part of his mind realized he was back at 'Anne Millers', just behind the establishment not in front.

"Help! S-somebody help! Damn monster, you'd never win in a fair fight! Don't…don't touch me!" a voice, powerful yet energetic was full of disdain and hate.

That one voice broke Shinji's desire to run. A voice came from a person, not a nameless idea in his mind. It made this even real to him, and so he ran down the alley towards his fate. Climbing up a trash bin, he vaulted the wooden fence that separated the café's back from the adjoining street. Whatever it was, Shinji knew it was big, green, naked, and appeared to be made of moving bits of rock. The girl saw him as he landed but didn't say anything, surprise was still on his side.

The green rock-strocity just laughed and let its mighty shoulders ripple as it did. "You humans think you're so strong, but you're nothing. I went easy on you, no good to rough up the potential prize. If you are the one we're looking for then I'll get a promotion, if not…" the creature laughed again deep throaty and terrifying. Advancing on the prone girl, her head propped against the red bin had traces of blood on it, it reached for her pink skirt bottom again.

Easily a full two feet taller than Shinji, he realized now he was doomed. Even if he hit the thing, what good would it do, but he was committed now. Fear coursed through ever fiber of him, his lungs failed to draw in air, but he readied his attack. Already he could see what happened before he arrived and what made the sound. A bottle had fallen from the trash, smashed now under the girls foot. But it had offset her and she fell and stuck her head against the bin hard. After the monster finished what it intended for the girl, it'd turn to him and just kill him if lucky, or if unlucky…best not think.

Swinging with all his might against the creatures head, Shinji heard a tremendous gong, as if ringing a bell, and the creature let out a weak guttural sound and fell to the side. "D-did it work?" he dropped the pipe and ran to the girl. Astonishingly enough the creature was on its side, but Shinji could see if it had eyes. It didn't seem to have genitals, but he wasn't risking that anyway. Helping the girl up, he was astonished that she was only a fraction taller than him, "Are you alright?"

Using Shinji as a crutch, the girl walked over to the creature as it labored for breath. "I'm fine, and don't count this bastard out yet. I hit it harder before you showed up. It recovered crazy fast," the girl's massive red pony tail hung limply with her blood marring it. "Honjouji Akira, I saw you in the restaurant earlier with your pig friends. You though," she winked at him, "you're defiantly not like they are. But let's get out of here before it…"

Powerful hands, pincers of rock, grabbed both Shinji and Akira's ankles and lifted the pair into the air. "Fucking bastard! That hurt, but now I get to kill one and take another home with me!" it laughed and swung the two around violently. "Was it fun to attack me like that pipsqueak? Trying to be the hero that saves the girl? Well reality means the hero loses and the girl is either turned over or becomes my slave!" he chortled and slammed Shinji against the trash bin.

"Leave him alone you coward and fight me fair!" Akira roared from her place still in the creatures grip. With a deft kick to the red circle in the being's head, it bellowed in pain as it threw Akira into the air. Spinning expertly in the apex of the pitch, Akira would have landed perfectly had she ground to land on. As it were, she fell in a heap into the trash bin which run and vibrated. Crawling out, she fell to the ground right by Shinji with more blood trickling down her head. "I'm…not out…yet," she tried to stand.

Watching it all, Shinji had thankfully experienced greater pain in his life, complements of the last angel, so he hadn't blacked out. "I'm…good too," but he hardly got up on unsteady feet. They were doomed, Akira seemed far more skilled than he was, and she was wobbling too. Shame, the girl was gorgeous, seemed confident and cheerful, and what was going to come was…NO! "I'll distract it while you run for help. I can't do much else…what it means for you…" Shinji ran with a sense of strength he didn't know he had.

Didn't matter though, as he neared the creature that was laughing at his foolish bravado, a bolt of lighting struck the creature. It fell to its knees, mouth open and eyes glazed over. Landing on the creatures back, a woman in a very short green skirt and brown hair in a ponytail stood confidently. "Not this evening you damn monster! Not when Sailor Jupiter can help it!" another voice full of confidence and power. Grinding her foot into the creatures neck, "Are you two alright. Sorry I was late, but we've never encountered something like this before so couldn't track it."

Blood was mucking up his vision, his head throbbed in pain, yet Shinji could see the girl was again quite beautiful. "You're…from that news report this morning! You ARE real…what is…was that thing?" he couldn't believe it! He had seen actual magic! Saw a real monster get thrashed by it, and nearly lost his life to it in the first place. A night of firsts, and all he wanted was some aspirin and to forget about it. His heart leapt in his chest as he felt a hand on his back, for a moment he thought the green thing had a friend, but when he jerked he saw a haggard Akira.

"The fact is you came and saved both of us. This guy here saved me first, and would you really have…" Akira batted her eyes quickly and fixed her disheveled clothing. However the revelation was cut short.

Standing up quickly, Sailor Jupiter flying off the creatures back and rolling on the ground, the beast howled in rage. "I'm sick of these stupid suprize attacks! And you stupid bitch, did you think lighting would really hurt me?" he gestured to his skin. Then as an afterthought gave Shinji a backhand that sent him soaring through the air towards and through the fence. "But now I can taste the fruit of one of these magic girls. I hear your powers are delicious!" a deep red tongue uncoiled from its mouth and hung their.

Vision going in and out, Shinji heard the fighting start up again. "Damn it! It can't…can't end like this!" he could see those girls losing. Fists didn't work to well against a creature of stone, and the Jupiter girl's powers were useless against it. "I have to…have to help…" but he could hardly move.

"Do you really want to help them?" a voice asked, high pitched and oddly familiar. "I can give you the power to, but you'll have to do what I say from now on. Or I can leave you here, here to bleed out and fail," small slapping sounds on the ground, familiar in one of those odd ways Shinji couldn't place.

His own will to live flared, his want to help supported and nurtured by that fire, Shinji found himself nodding. "Yes, I want to help them. I'll…I'll do it," Shinji gasped out of his aching lungs. It was hard to breath, something felt wrong in his chest. Then a cold band wrapped around his finger, cold and soothing.

"Then repeat after me, my boy, _in__nomine__deorum_," the voice chattered out, again with a strange alieness to it. "And don't worry, I won't ask much of you, and you'll likely enjoy this. But I don't know how it will work, you are a boy after all and its only supposed to be used on girls."

Shinji didn't care what the voice said, or why, he just repeated the odd words, "_in__nomine__deorum_" The moment the last syllable left his voice, Shinji's vision was replaced with the damp wet street with pure white light. The pain left him, replaced with radiant energy and power he'd never felt before. When his vision cleared, he was standing and had a strange red lance in his hand. At the moment that didn't matter, he had a weapon, felt like the world was on his side, and rushed! "Don't you touch them you bastard!" Shinji vaulted the fence in a single bound.

Turning around from the fallen Sailor Jupiter, her face a mask of red, the creature cackled again. "More? Coming out of the wood work! I'll have my own harem after tonight! A little small, but I don't mind that," the creature lunged. But it didn't have the reach of Shinji's lance, and it pierced through his armored hide as if it were paper. The twin forked lance pierced the creatures arm and then chest. No blood came out, just purple light as the being was sucked into itself and fell to the ground as a glowing crystal.

"D-did I do that?" Shinji couldn't imagine how he'd done it, but he had won! Rushing to Akira and Jupiter's side, he checked her injuries and found them both to be light but in the right places to render unconscious. "A-are you alright?" he noticed for the first time his voice sounded off.

Nodding and getting to her feet, Jupiter grabbed the crystal before anything else. "I'll be taking this if you don't mind. And yes I'm fine, that attack of yours is something else. If my friends were here we'd have won easily, but I was at a drastic disadvantage. Oh! Did you see a cute boy out in the alley? He tried to help, but from what I've heard of him, he's not really a fighter," Jupiter took a few steps towards the fence Shinji had flown through.

About to say that it was him, Shinji stopped for a moment. This girl knew about him? He'd never seen a woman like this before in his life, and why would a magic girl know of him personally? To many questions, and that's when he saw his reflection in a puddle of water on the ground. His hair was longer, two feet longer yet the same color, his legs were exposed outside of some strange purple armor that clung to his upper thighs, arms, bust, and a strange face mask that went above his head and down the side of his face. It was as if Unit-01 had been used in some parody armor set to offset his features.

Wait…bust…he had breasts?! Shinji's hand went to his crotch and felt for his little friend. Gone…it was gone! What he felt sent ripples of pure pleasure like a spike of bliss upward from legs to skull. "I'm…I'm…" Shinji stammered as Akira started waking.

"Run now questions latter!" that voice that offered him power decreed, and Shinji followed it. Jupiter was distracted by his sudden flight, and Akira's return to wakefulness. "I'll deal with this," Shinji ran from the voice. Finding the bag of groceries where he dropped it. The lad picked them up and ran full force down the street, faster than he knew he ever could before. He had to get home, had to see himself in a better mirror and insure it wasn't just a dream!

But when he got home, the mirror in the bathroom didn't show his endowment it showed something he'd never seen outside of Kensuke's magazines. "I'm…I'm…a girl?!" Shinji screamed and fainted. When consciousness returned to him, he was in his bed, the alarm sounding it was time to wake. He rocketed out and quickly pulled his pants down…it was there! A dream! Just a dream! Of course…he drank from the wrong pitcher again and had some of Misato's sake! Just a dream…oh god he had to think so. He'd question the ring on his finger after consciousness returned to him.

X-X

Walking to school, Shinji wasn't even sure if he was really there. Last night's dream seemed so real, but at the same time so surreal. He was glad it was a dream, that was for sure. While Shinji admitted he wasn't the most masculine of guys, but he sure as hell didn't want to just turn into a girl, a magical girl. "I need to pay less attention to the news," he muttered under his breath. To much stress, and to much attention given to those odd news reports must have flavored his dream. Sadly, having not cooked Misato's request, Shinji snuck out while she was in the shower.

Being as early at it was, Shinji took a small walk about town. He didn't want to notice he walked towards the café just to see if anything had happened. Nothing was there when he got there, no police, no damage, nothing. "A dream, it really was just a dream," he was beyond relieved. Just a stupid mistake and drank some of the Misato Special again. "I'll need to be more careful," he did NOT want more phantasmal dreams. With nothing else to do, Shinji made his way back towards the school with an extra bounce in his step. Everything was fine, yup, no ring on his finger, nope that was just something that it wasn't important to think of.

Standing outside the gate to the school, Shinji just stood there watching it for a minute. "Never knew I was so imaginative," Shinji could have written it down and sold it! Lost in his revelry over the dream, Shinji just stood about leaning against the fence. When one of the approaching students collided with him, sending him stumbling forward, Shinji mind went right back to that dark place. Whirling around, hands drawn into fists, he was expecting that horrible green monster. "Houjouin-san?" Shinji gasped out when he saw who actually run into him. But she was a high school student, why was she here?

"Oh you…wait…" Akira's smile was wide but then to confusion quickly. Bouncing back a step, her school uniform jiggled with the motion, the girl put a finger to her chin. "You were at Miller's yesterday right…with two other guys?" she didn't sound sure of herself. Reaching out for a moment, Akira drew her hand back at the last second before touching the lad. "S-so you go to school here huh?" she tugged on her collar, looking about awkwardly.

Why was she here? Why was she talking to him? It was a dream, just a dream! When he saw her looking at him then suddenly looking away, Shinji had a small revelation. She didn't know why she was there either! Bowing slightly, he wanted the thick and strange air to dissipate, "Yes, that's right. I was there yesterday with my friends Touji and Kensuke, I'm Ikari Shinji if you didn't know." He would never put any faith in his minor celebrity from being a pilot. "Did you need anything here? I could go get it for you if you did?" he ventured a guess for her intent.

"N-no I don't need anything. Just an early morning walk is all. Oh! I do have these though," Akira reached into a pocket of her skirt. For a brief moment she flashed a hint of thigh, a muscular yet still smooth looking bit of flesh. Pulling out a slip of paper, she handed it over with a brilliant smile that made her ruby red eyes glisten. "A coupon for a free meal. Supposed to hand them out to drum up some business. But this time if you come, keep those friends on a short leash alright?" slapping Shinji's shoulder, the girl turned and ran off with a powerful wave.

Just looking at the tiny slip of paper, Shinji forced the dream out of his mind and went into the classroom. Thankfully only the class-representative was there getting ready for the day. They exchanged polite pleasantries, Shinji didn't know Hikari well enough to try talking to her. No reason to talk to her anyway, what good would it do? He just sat down and set the coupon on his desk and stared at it. "Why had she really come here?" his imagination was working overtime again! Maybe she remembered, maybe it wasn't a dream, and subconsciously she sought him out to insure he was safe. She seemed the type to check up on people.

"You doing alright, Shin-man, you're looking a little pale," Touji asked as he plopped down. Tossing his books into his desk without any care, the jock was logy and yawned showing his pearly whites. "What you got there?" he asked as he swiped it out from under Shinji. After a brief read, Touji's fatigue vanished as he held the paper with both hands, "Y-you got a ticket? YOU!? How'd you get one of the fabled tickets for one of HER free meals?!"

Bewildered at not only Touji's arrival, but his comments, Shinji just stared blankly for a few moments. Why was he so tired today!? He'd drifted off into a semi-daze and the class had went from empty to nearly full. "I…uh…well Houjouin-san was on a walk or something this morning and ran into me. Said it was just to bolster business or something," he hadn't put any real importance on it. Yet Touji was glaring at him with envy pouring off him like a noxious perfume.

"Ken! You'll never believe who got one of Akira-sama's free meal tickets!" Touji slapped the paper and held onto it covetously. At the mention of the name, half of the boys in the class turned towards Shinji. It felt like being outed as a pilot again, what was the big deal? "Boy you really are lucky. First Misato-san, and now Akira-sama, how you do it Shin-man?" Touji asked to Shinji's failed recollection.

Rushing over to them, Kensuke took the paper and held it to his chest. "You're taking us with you when you go right? RIGHT?" Kensuke continued to hug the paper. Joining the pair, they eventually calmed down enough to tell Shinji why it was such an honor. Shinji had no idea that Akira was quite the well-known martial artist, having won many tournaments, and having a fan club a mile long that wanted the ticket Shinji got for free. Before class started not less than three boys and one girl asked to buy the ticket from him. Tempted as he was, Touji and Kensuke prevented such a sale from happening.

As his fatigue worked its way on his mind again, Shinji knew he was going to try sleeping in class. He knew it was bad to do, he wasn't stupid but he did need to pay some attention to learn. Right now though, sleep was more important than hearing about Second-Impact again. Setting his book up to mask his face, Shinji saw Rei was in class again yet peering out the window as usual. Nothing different there, but he was glad she was healthy enough to come to school. Maybe he'd try talking to her.

Yeah right, and maybe he really had summoned a red lance and dispatched a monster the night before! As sleep fell upon him, Shinji shifted his head to the side. A quartet of girls sat in his field of vision. A close group of friends, at least that's what Touji said, and quite the popular sect of them. All Shinji could think was that the one with brown hair seemed familiar somehow. Then he blinked again…and Hokari was standing over him angry. He'd slept all day!? Some friends he had, didn't bother trying to wake him.

"I expect such acts from Suzuhara and Aida, Ikari, but not from you. We covered for you today, but don't do it again," Hikari was cross yet fair.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Shinji was beyond embarrassed and wilted under the fierce gaze of the girl. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm so tired. Maybe I'm coming down with something," he fibbed. Tired yes, but he didn't feel sick at all. It seemed to work though as the anger disappointed from the girl and was replaced with a compassionate worry. Cute girls, they were just such a weakness for the lonely boy, and he didn't like seeing her so concerned. Waving his hand, "I'll get some sleep tonight, d-don't worry Hokari-san."

A warmth exuded from the girl who just nodded as she started cleaning the room. "You better not Ikari-kun. Somebody has to set a good example for those two idiots or they'll try to get away with it to. I'll do your cleaning today, head home and get some rest," she said in such a way to tell him it was an order not a request.

"Sure thing, Hokari-san," Shinji quickly departed less Hikari change her mind. Liking cleaning as a way to keep his mind busy, he had no real need for such at the moment. The print-outs for his missed work in hand, Shinji ran home evading those boys that wanted to acquire his ticket from somehow less noble means. Some boys were desperate and needy things, and wouldn't have found problem with a trade of a knuckle sandwich for a free lunch ticket with a busty and charismatic high school girl. With a luck the boy oft lacked, Shinji took the correct path through the illusionary maze of angry boys and got home without encountering a single one. Kicking his shoes off, "Misato-san, I'm home. S-sorry about this morning!"

Sadly nothing greeted the boy other than silence. Oh well, it wasn't the first time Shinji returned to an empty apartment and it wouldn't be the last he reckoned. Finding a note on the table, Shinji read it and then had to re-read it after he finished.

'Going out drinking with Ritsuko. Thanks for the supper last night, even if it wasn't as good as you normally make. Be home late or tomorrow if Ritsuko drinks to much. – love your Misa-chan'

"But I didn't cook for her, I passed out," Shinji balled up the note and threw it away. Must have cooked it in his stupor or something, sleep cooking! "Yeah I must have cooked in my sleep or something. If people can walk, why can't I cook?" he pulled out several cans of soda and set them all on the counter. His hands were working over and over pulling out implants to cook with, yet he didn't stop. Of course he'd need eight knives and four bowls for his supper. "I need to calm down, just calm…" Shinji watched as Pen-Pen walked into the room.

Instead of a wark of familiar, the bird's mouth flapped up and down and the same voice from the night before spoke again, "You didn't cook I did. Have to keep Misa-chan in the dark of our little arrangement." Waddling into the room, Pen-Pen grabbed a can of Yebisu Shinji pulled out on accident and popped the top. Taking a deep drought the bird's shrill voice whooped happily, "Man this is the life! And I figured it best to let you have the day to let it all sink in. Not every day you get drafted to fight monsters. Well maybe you do, it is the second time for you." Pen-Pen pulled a chair out and jumped up into it, spilling just a little of the golden brew.

"Ok, I've officially snapped and have gone insane. So this is what insanity is like. Talking to a warm-water penguin. So tell me o' magic bird, what is happening to me?" grabbing a soda, Shinji opened it and took a drink. What else could it be, the dream, his sleep spell, and now talking Pen-Pen. Yup welcome to crazyville. The sunlight was streaming through a window making Pen-Pen's collar shine.

Plopping down into the best seated position he could, Pen-Pen's eyes barely crested the table. Head twisting in that odd manner only birds could, he spoke, "I need you to get me crystals from monsters. You nearly got one yesterday, but that damn Senshi got it first. Right now you don't need to know what they're for, would only confuse you. In return for your service I've given you powers to fight them, and if you wanted some powers for when not in your…um…alternate form. I do apologize for that too. I was told to only give the powers to girls, so I didn't know what would happen to you when I did."

Pen-Pen's flipper slapped the ring on Shinji's hand and it glowed a deep purple. "Why should I do any of this for you and not just flush the ring down the toilet? Why are you here anyway if you're a magic power distributing bird that wants crystals?" Shinji started giggling. It was so stupid and crazy to even say the words, but if he was insane he might as well go along with it. Memories of his dream, the girl in the short skirt, was super imposed with Misato…Shinji blinked. "Did you give Misato-san powers too?" he didn't want to think to deeply of that thought. He was a man after all, and even he had a libido.

"I was supposed to, why I came in the first place. BUT Second-Impact put a damper on that. Hard to get a comatose girl to accept into the arrangement," Pen-Pen's warble died down as he took another drink. The light of the room made the bird's eyes shimmer like dolls eyes, fake and yet still calculating and hunting. "You're not crazy kid, far from it. And if you lose that ring Misa-chan will start losing things, and who will she blame? Me her cute lil penguin or you…the boy she took in turned pervert? "

Was he being blackmailed by Pen-Pen?! "You can't do that! I'll just tell her…tell…" tell her what? Telling Misato that it was Pen-Pen doing anything would get him shipped off to a nice padded cell! If this was real…really real he was at Pen-Pen's mercy to be some sort of geologist! "But why are you here if Misato-san isn't any use to you anymore? If you couldn't turn her, why stay? H-how long do I have to do this?" he was starting to think that maybe just maybe he wasn't insane.

Snickering a little, it came out high pitched and hurt Shinji's ears, but Pen-Pen just held up his can. "Kid are you sure you're not gay? Have you SEEN that woman? Misa-chan is the picture of loveliness and when she's drunk…well she likes to hug her lil pet in her sleep. I've seen things…and if you play along kid, I can tell you things to. Get you a girl of your own, or even Misa-chan. If you haven't noticed I'm not really suited for humans, but I don't mind watching. Misa-chan has a few videos that she hasn't had the chance to watch since you moved in. So…since I'm not moving out cause I won't leave her, and I've nobody else I could use…you're my knight Shinji. But buck up, you'll get magic powers, get to get stronger, interact with a lot of girls. And I'm sure we can get you some confidence," Pen-Pen prettied it up as much as the bird could.

Pinching his cheek, Shinji winced at the pain as he had been harder than intended. "I'm not crazy, right. This is real?" he touched the ring and felt that cold smoothness again. Recalling the little phrase to shift into his 'alternate' form, Shinji again found his vision whited out, and when it cleared he sat in his sick parody of Unit-01 if Kensuke created it for a girl to wear. "A-and this will end and not have lasting repercussions?" Shinji didn't want to look down at himself…herself.

"Wow you're a hot little mama," Pen-Pen's can dropped from his little flipper. Shaking his head free of whatever bird thoughts filled it with oddness, Pen-Pen waddled over the table. "That I don't know for sure. Like I told you I was originally here for Misa-chan, and I don't know what it means to use it on a boy. It SHOULD go away when you revert to your normal form. So don't worry. But hey! Side bonus right? You get to know how a girl feels! So make the best of it! You and I are going to be working together for sometime, Shinji-kun, might as well get used to it. Now lets start your training," Pen-Pen helped himself to a touch of Shinji's bust.

Damn perverted bird, Shinji realized after the flipper hit tender flesh. It was that sensation though that started to make the reality of the situation congeal and fester. It was a new sensation, something he'd never felt before. He didn't know if it was good or bad. "Wait…you sleep in Misato-san's room all the time, Pen-Pen! What are you doing to her in her sleep?" Shinji chased after the bird! At least once a week Shinji would drag a black-out Misato to her room to sleep and Pen-Pen oft went in with her. "Pen-Pen wait! Don't tell me you…do things!" the skirt rode high as Shinji chased Pen-Pen.

Training had begun with that, Pen-Pen was deft and hard to catch. So Shinji ran about the apartment trying to get ahold of the slippery bird. When Pen-Pen was capture, Pen-Pen confessed that he didn't do 'much' other than watch her sleep. On a rare occasion he'd find his head stuck under Misato's shirt, not his fault, he swore on it. Then Pen-Pen had Shinji summon the lance again, and swore "Once you get the hang of this, I think you can get more powers…I'm rusty with this. Been watching Misa-chan for a good long time now, forgot a lot."

Not the best start to his new task in life, but Shinji was relieved when the shift happened, he was truly a 'he' again. He slept good that night, homework safely forgotten.

X-X

"Are you sure you're doing alright Makoto?" Ami asked as the pair headed down the semi populated street. Ami had an ice cream while Makoto had a bottle of tea. Nobody said patrol had to be boring or without food. Leaning forward a little, getting a better look into the taller girl's face, Ami scrutinized as best as she could without offending, "You seem a little off today. Something you're not saying about the fight yesterday?"

Makoto wanted to confess the truth, but she didn't want to appear weak to her teammates. "I'm fine, just a little sore is all. It was one of those rock monster types, and you know how hard they hit," she flexed her bicep and gave a cheeky grin. Truth was she didn't know HOW she had won! The pain was truly minor, their powers buffered them from much of it other than shock, but the mental game was different. Memories of the night before, how she got the Senshi their third crystal, were hazy and murky. It was a fight at a restaurant, a boy and a girl where their but she couldn't recall the faces. Next thing she knew she was walking away from the battle with the crystal in her hand. Somehow she kept thinking she saw a penguin, but that was stupid.

Jotting down more details in her notepad, always the studious one, Ami nodded just once. "They sure do. The fact you beat one on your own is more proof that I need to improve. If Rei hadn't been there with me I'd have been beaten. And you know what those type claim they'll do," Ami shivered a little and it wasn't due to her treat.

Yes, this time the stakes weren't set in stone. Unlike the Senshi's other battles, these new foes didn't seem to be unified. Hell they didn't even seem to know of each other. All they wanted though was the same. An unknown girl of unknown age, great bit of details to go on. Makoto had another shiver of memory, it was her on her back with that green bastard over her. But she had won, so that couldn't be right. If she lost…those monsters claimed they'd take girls back for something Makoto wasn't wanting to think about.

"So have you learned anything from the crystal, Ami? Maybe what they are looking for or how we can hunt them easier? Last time it was soul gems that hid the Outers weapons. This time I've not the foggiest," Makoto was the brawn not the brains. And yes the Outers were more powerful than them, they were off doing god knew what. Pharaoh 90 had been driven back, and they had thought their would be peace. Now they had a new assailant AND the city was being attacked by things they couldn't even HOPE to fight.

Licking the dessert that was dribbling down her knuckles, Ami had neglected it to long and the heat was melting it fast. "Luna has some theories, but I'm not ready to accept them yet. But she thinks we could use the crystals to find the girl we're hunting for. That doesn't tell us about those other Senshi going round. Or the nature of our foes. Minako said they found a new type yesterday…summoning people together to commit suicide. They found a group calling themselves Puella Magi and that they were fighting witches. It's strange. This is so different than what we faced before," Ami gave up and tossed the mush away.

When Ami didn't know, Makoto just gave up and waited. "Well you'll get it eventually. And until then we can hope those others don't get in our way. Even better they might be allies in the end," might as well be positive. Not wanting to dwell on the negative, it made her depressed and a little afraid, Makoto looked at the passing men. "Is your mom still planning on staying and working for that Nerv place?" Makoto couldn't keep the worry out.

If Ami's mother moved, it might mean Ami moved too. Same went for Minako and Usagi. Parents weren't wanting to stay in a war zone, and Tokyo-3 was just that. Slipping her notebook back in her pocket, Ami actually smiled for the first time in awhile. "She is. She's been appointed the head doctor over the pilot corps apparently. And you know who that is right now…" Ami could tease like the others could.

Coming to a stop, Makoto bristled and felt her cheeks warm. "Don't say that out loud Ami or I'll have to punish you!" Makoto lightly rapped her knuckle against Ami's temple. The pilot boy was something of a crush, strange for her as she was normally into the bigger guys. Maybe that was why it never worked out for her with them. Motoki couldn't be with a girl bigger than he was, Ken was to wanting a physical relationship, and the few others had been the same. "Its just a stupid fixation is all…I'm not sure if I like him or just imagine he'd be better," she lied. It was more than fixation, she watched the boy at school a lot, helped keep her awake. He was cute, considerate, and kind all made for great starting blocks.

"Well if you don't hurry somebody else might make a move," Ami slowed her walk and leaned forward. Scanning something in the distance, she held her hand out for quiet. Pointing discretely into the park, Ami nodded once and they adjusted paths. Not trying to appear off stride Ami did her best to keep the conversation going, "While Ikari-kun isn't the most sought after in our class, I have heard a few rumors. Even Minato mentioned him the other day, but just in passing."

With the other boys in their class being quite…different, Ami wasn't just passing idle gossip. Ami and gossip didn't even belong in the same category, Ami dealt in facts not half-truths. The timid boy wasn't the highest on the hunt list, but that's because he was so shy. And Makoto never dated a shy boy before…maybe…maybe it would work this time. But romance would have to wait, they could see signs of a struggle as they went deeper into the darkened park.

Plants cut in odd angles, deep gouts in the earth, and the faint sound of heavy weight hitting the ground. A fight was going on, and if they didn't hurry one of the other groups might make off with their prize. Transforming as she ran, she hoped Ami was doing the same. Bursting into a clearing, small animals sat on heavy metal springs for kids to ride on circled the area, Makoto yelled out, "Stop what you're doing right now scum!" It worked sometimes to get the monster off stride, others she just gave up her element of surprise.

This time it worked in her favor as the bulbous and plant-like monster turned and faced them. It had green accents over its dark brown earthen body. "Whaa…" slick! A red lance pierced its chest and it pitched forward. In a burst of light, it condensed into a gem and fell.

Scooping up the small diamond shaped object, a new girl stood uneasily and sweating. "Oh…I…hello. Thanks for distracting that thing. I'm, well I'm new at all this," the girl appeared ready to run, her hand clenched her weapon tightly. "I should be leaving now, g-goodbye?" taking a few steps towards the woods, the girl would run in a moments notice.

"Stop! Tell us a few things first before you go! Why are you collecting those crystals, what's your name…and do I know you?" Makoto couldn't help but think she'd seen this girl before. The odd colors reminded her of that giant mech, which made her think of its pilot…but this was a girl no doubt about it. That was unless Ikari was hiding breasts the size of Ami's and nobody realized it. Flinching her head subtly to the side, if they could flank the girl they might get her to hand over the crystal.

Pushing her hands together, the red lance vanished between her palms as if it was never there, the girl took two more steps back. "N-name? My name is Sh," a crash in the distance distracted them, something fell over, "Shiki" The name was blurted out quickly and then she quickly covered her mouth.

Corpse demon? This girl was named corpse demon?! "Are you our enemy?" Makoto would attack now and ask questions later if needed. Ami was slowly moving around, the strange girl's attention was solely on Makoto. "This city has become quite crowded with rivals. I'd hate to have to add you to that number. So why don't you just hand that crystal over and show us you're our friend?" Makoto felt the pre-battle burst of energy working on her.

"I'm not…I don't…where is your frien!" Shiki yelped and jumped back as Ami's blast hit right where she was standing. Rushing into the darkness, quite nimbly Makoto realized, the girl vanished leaving more questions than answers. A new rival or maybe just a novice to the trade? They'd have to keep their eyes open for that one. So much was going on around them, so little understood, but they'd have to work together to get answers. If they failed, who would protect the city?

X-X

Notes

Yeah this one is going to be more comedy and dark comedy than Friends was. Not going to keep a big running cast either. People will come in and go on to other things. Planning more of an arc approach to this one so…just wanting to have some fun. My two other stories take so much effort to plan and script out, this is my nice little funny story. Hope you enjoy it and can support quite an oddity.

Later

Mercaba


	2. Chapter 2

Standard Disclaimer

Well ACEN is coming up again soon so that's going to be a blast, hope to see you all there. I'll be cat-sitting for a buddy soon, meets my ideal specs for cats to so pretty epic. And work…for some reason I'm being seen as a Javascript guru and that means lots of questions.

X-X

No Alternative

Chapter - 2

Standing outside of Anne Millers, Shinji was hesitant to head in. Holding the free voucher in his hands, he alternated between it and the door, maybe he should just drop it. What if she remembered the fight, how he utterly failed to help her until that transformation? Hell what if she REMEMBERED the transformation? Pen-Pen was pretty adamant that he not let others know of his new alternate persona as a fighter of monsters. A magical girl, he was a magical girl…that didn't make sense to him. "At least it's not permanent," he did have SOME male pride.

A few people walked past him, a man gave him thumbs up and a node while a woman turned her nose up at him. Guess maid cafés did get a rather polarizing view from the public, and Millers was known for the skimpy skirts. "At least it's not during the supper rush," Shinji started heading in. Misato was working tonight so he didn't have to cook supper, and he did promise Touji and Kensuke he'd use the ticket. He needed to be better with his promises, they had the tendency to bite him square on the rump. Peeking in the window, Shinji only saw two tables occupied and a few of the waitresses scampering about. Well waiting wouldn't get this embarrassment over any sooner, so he opened the door and the bells attached to it chimed loudly.

"Welcome to Anne Millers, how many in…oh its you!" Karen squealed a little from behind the cash counter. Hugging a drink tray to her chest, her glasses slide down her nose as she looked down, a quick once over of the man before her, Karen's cheeks were flushed. Shakily gesturing towards the interior of the restaurant, "Akira-chan's been waiting for you for the last few days. She's not used to being left waiting. P-please stay here for a moment." Another once over, not very coy about her observing of him, Karen's fare split into a smile as she scampered off.

Doing his best to NOT look at how Karen's uncoordinated running hiked up her skirt, or how she wiggled as she moved, Shinji let out a low whistle. A girl was waiting for him? Was it for good or ill, Shinji didn't know but suspected it was the latter. His life didn't normally go into the good criteria. "She likely remembers me and is going to blackmail me or something," he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Would he have to fight his way out? Pen-Pen would be upset with him, and that bird was not something Shinji wanted to tempt. One blackmailer was enough

"Akira-chan will be out in a moment, Ikari-kun. How about I get you into a booth? Your friends are not here with you today?" Karen asked. How she had snuck up behind Shinji would forever go unknown, but she was still all smiles. Menu in hand, she did her best to not topple over as she walked, not the most coordinated it seemed, she lead the boy to a secluded booth in a far corner. As he sat down, "Our main chef isn't in yet, so anything you order might take a little longer to make. Can I get you anything to drink while you wait?"

Opening the menu, Shinji took a brief moment to scan the drink selection, "Just a cola I guess. And no, Touji and Kensuke aren't with me today. I thought it might be easier on everybody of they weren't here today." Shinji didn't want to deal with their gaping, and Karen was doing far better. Why WAS she smiling so much at him, was this a trap after all? She was still looking at him over a spare menu, watching, evaluating…why? Leaning a little forward, looking her square in the eye, "Is something wrong?"

"N-no-no!" Karen waved her hands wildly and smacked an empty tray over and onto the ground, "J-just thinking is all. I'll got get Akira-chan!" Quickly fixing her mess, showing Shinji her affinity for polka dots, Shinji quickly looked away frazzled. Girl was strange, then again girls were all strange. Rushing off, leaving Shinji alone in the corner of the restaurant, he could hear the muted conversation from others around him.

Secluded, he was totally secluded from the others, if Akira had plans for him it would be perfect here. Tracing the ring on his finger, "What if it was like that cult yesterday?" Shinji wasn't liking his new role as crystal gatherer and fighter. After he met those two girls, well Jupiter and her friend, a few nights ago, Shinji had his second engagement last night. He stumbled upon a group of about twenty people, age ranging from teenage to mid-life. They were dead-eyed and shuffling around like zombies, but they had a purpose. Setting up some mass suicide, Pen-Pen explained that some monsters preyed upon the weak minded.

A witch, that's what the new girl said they were called. Nami, a blond with girly hair and two potential trainees with her informed him after her defeated the witch. According to this girl, it wasn't the true witch but a familiar. When the lance pierced it, two gems came out this time, one like the one he gave Pen-Pen already and something Nami said was a soul gem. Since he didn't know about those and Nami was desperate to get it, Shinji let her have it. Maybe it would get him some allies and not more enemies. Sadly no formal declaration of peace was forged, the pink haired girl commented on how lewd Shiki's costume was… 'not cute like Nami-san's'. So what if it wasn't cute!

Shaking his head free of that little funk, Shinji didn't want to start having that internal debate again. "Stupid costume," Shinji did NOT like thinking of his female persona. According to his Avian advisor, the costume was created from some aspect of Shinji's personality. What part of him wanted exposed stomach and knee high boots, and a full rack and long hair…Shinji was NOT a pervert! Flipping through the menu, eying more simple food than the complicated dishes he found what he wanted. A BLT, he so rarely ate simple sandwiches.

"Nice choice, Shinji-kun," Akira leaned over his shoulder as she scooped up his menu. For a moment she brushed against him, her uniform was silky and soft. Handing off the menu to Karen, who had Shinji's drink in hand, "Take this Karen, and he'll have a number thirteen. Enter it for me? Time for our special service." Flexing her arm, Akira winked at Shinji as she spun around and got into the booth across from Shinji. Popping two straws into Shinji's glass, it was situated in between them, "An Anne Miller's special. The twin drink."

Bewildered at having the sanctity of his daydream ruined, Shinji just stared at the straws and Akira. Was she really expecting him to drink his soda with her? That was…that was something couples did, what kind of place was this!? "H-hello Honjouji-san," he shook the silly idea out of his mind. It was a tease, had to be. Lull him into a sense of false security and then pounce on him. "Is this…normal? I don't normally come to places like this, but it'd be rude to have turned down your invitation," Shinji eyed the glass. The condensation on the side was already trickling down. An invitation from a girl, Touji said it was because Akira might like him, Shinji bet it was just business or related to that night.

"No it's not normal. Only special occasions really. We may dress like this, but Millers isn't one of those shady places. And call me Akira," she winked and took one of the straws in her mouth. Flinching her head towards Shinji's, she waited expectantly. Closing her eyes she hummed just a little impatiently.

Bad idea, this was a bad idea, but she was so enthusiastic and well…she was really pretty. Feeling every bit an idiot, Shinji leaned in and captured his bit of straw and took a drink. Peeking out though one eye, Shinji found Akira wasn't drinking but observing him pensively. Eyes met and she blinked rapidly and either by accident or desire took a huge drink. Then in unison they both started laughing at the oddity of their little bit of shared contact. "Sorry, Akira-san, I'm not used to things like this. Seems like I'm isolated from…sorry for making you do embarrassing things like this," why WAS she doing it though?

Cleaning her chin of some of the soda she spit up in her mad rush to inhale, she giggled a little. "Neither am I, and you're not making me do it. I want to. I feel I owe it to you after what…we have a security camera in the back. That morning I gave the ticket to you, I had the impression I was forgetting something. You…you saved me back then and that other girl. You were willing to…I've never known anybody that would go so far for somebody they don't know," she confessed. As she spoke she fiddled with her hands below the table top, the side effect was she made her impressive assets squeeze together and wobble. Girl didn't seem to know her feminine qualities that well, or how it effected others.

"Y-you saw that? It was more that S-Shiki that did anything important. All I did was get knocked around and do what I thought was right," Shinji let out a massive breath. For a moment he was sure Akira was going to say she saw his transformation. His dream turned reality was odd, Pen-Pen said he was able to fog the girls memories of the evening to cover the rather rushed operation. Cameras though, Shinji hadn't thought about security cameras! But what did any of this have to do with sharing a drink, "Anyway, you don't owe me anything for that, Akira-san."

Jumping up quickly, her hand slammed on the table top and a fire burning in her eyes, the drink tittered but didn't fall. "Nonsense! My pride as a martial artist wouldn't let me live it down to just let you do that for nothing! I was soundly beaten, and you saved not only my life but…my…you know…it was going to…" that pride and courage fizzled just a little. Seeing as she was now towering over Shinji, his had slide down in the booth as she advanced, she blushed and sat back down. "S-sorry, I get excited at times. And this isn't JUST about that business with that thing. I mean…you're nice…I was thinking…maybe…" Akira took fugitive glances at Shinji and at the table.

"Akira-san, are you…asking…" Shinji was beside himself with shock. It sounded like this older girl was hinting at wanting to go out on a date? A date with him, that was stupid silly talk! A girl like this wasn't supposed to talk to him, heck maybe this was still a trap! Looking about the restaurant for a camera and a bunch of people that were going to jump out laughing at him for believing it. What he saw was Karen stumbling towards them, a replacement drink on a tray that was… "should have known…"

A shrill yell and cry, "Look out!" Karen cried as she all but pitched the drink at them. The cup didn't make it to them, but the soda was propelled out of it and all over Shinji and the table. Some of the sugary beverage splashed Akira's white top and let the pink sports bra be seen to all. Rushing over to Shinji after she got off the ground, "I'm so sorry Ikari-san! I saw you two enjoying…I thought you'd want another…Akira-chan I'm so sorry I know you wanted to ask him out and I just…Just…"

"KAREN! I why did you say that!" Akira quickly crawled out of the booth and ran off to the safety of the kitchen. Leaving the two behind in the maelstrom of both the confession and the accident, they just looked at one another in silence.

Scooping the ice back into the cup, Karen's legs vanished under her skirt as she knelt down. "I'm so sorry, Ikari-san. Its just…Akira-chan is really self-conscious about herself as a girl. And she's never talked about a guy before. I just wanted to help her. She's helped me so much, and we've a…never mind that. I'll…I'll see if I can't get you a fresh shirt while we clean this for you. And I'll get your food," she didn't bother waiting for his response. Once the ice was off the ground she dashed off after Akira calling for the missing girl.

"What just happened?" Shinji asked himself as he looked down at himself. Cold and sticky, Shinji just let himself think it was another dream. A lie of course, but what else was he supposed to think? Life was just getting bizarre and Shinji was sure it was a lead up to something terrible. All he wanted was to leave now, run away from this little oddity and pretend it didn't exist. Just like his new body when he transformed, less thought the better. Pen-Pen said he was fully a woman when he changed, and should experiment with it. Damn that bird was a freak. That's when his vision was blinded by white.

Standing behind him, arms crossed and face cross and unreadable, "Here is one of our chef's uniforms. You can change into this while we clean yours. I'm…I don't know what Karen told you, I wasn't sure if I wanted to even ask. You hardly know me, some odd girl in a maid café who is only good at fighting. Only took the job here to keep an eye on Karen…I like it, the uniforms are cute and I get good tips. But…" She would have kept gushing had Shinji not surprised both of them.

"I think I understand you Akira-san," Shinji held the uniform in both hands. "I was terrified of coming here. Thinking it was just a joke or something. I never did expect you to recall that evening. It's vague for me to. And you are cute in that uniform," he couldn't look at her when he spoke. He didn't know what to expect after his little slip, but Akira's hands on his shoulders was not it. Looking up, his romantic side thought maybe just…wait she was behind him? Being propelled further into the restaurant, into the kitchen, "Akira-san?"

Leading him to the changing room, Akira didn't let the boy get a look at her. "You can change in here, Shinji-kun. And here is your food," she pointed at a sandwich on the service line. "If you want to leave…I could bring your cloths back to school to you tomorrow. Not what I expected or wanted…" she rushed off.

Taking the clothing to a stall, Shinji changed out of his clothing, washed off the soda, and changed into the thick white cotton top of the places chef. "Must have embarrassed her or something," he was not good at small talk. Eating his sandwich in the changing room, Shinji listened to some of the actual workers talking in the other room. They were gossiping about Akira and Karen, Shinji didn't want to eavesdrop but couldn't help it. "So they really are close then," Shinji didn't know what to really believe. Some of the other waitresses were convinced those two were an item, or had some odd arrangement going on.

"What are you doing wasting time in here newbie? You're wanted on prep and staging! We're doing a chef already today, can't have you lollygagging in here!" a woman in a black business suit all but yelled at Shinji. Being herded to a work station, Shinji listened to the woman bark orders at everybody. Supper rush was coming, and the woman with emerald green eyes and shoulder length blond hair was not going to let anybody have an easy time of it.

For the next two hours Shinji found himself accosted with work, it was things he was used to but was still not expecting it. After supper he was supposed to get more training from Pen-Pen about his 'special attacks', and the like. Well Pen-Pen was going to have to be patient, as Shinji couldn't in good conscious leave the others to suffer for lack of workers. When Karen found him working…he was exposed for not being an actual chef. The manager rectified that quickly by offering Shinji a job, and insisting he take it. He'd be the third male employee at the place, she tried to use it as a reason to join up. Akira didn't meet his eyes as he accepted it on a trial basis.

X-X

While Shinji was starting his part-time job as a short order cook, Misato was sipping a coffee and wanting to be anywhere but where she was. In a nondescript room roughly the size of her apartment, the only features was a bed, a chest of drawers, a stack of books, and a metal post in the middle with hand and feet cuffs. It was Ayanami's testing room, and Misato hated being in it. It wasn't just her that loathed the room, Shigeru bounced on his feet pensively as well. "It shouldn't be to long until we can start this. Then you can get back to your normal work," Misato tried to disarm the situation.

"I know, I've a lot of work piling up. But I can accept that we don't want everybody to know about this. Just hate when it's my turn to share the joy," Shigeru tugged on his collar. Heading over to the stack of books, a layer of dust over them, he picked one up. Flipping through the pages, "Ayanami read teen romance novels?" He flipped a few more pages and read a hand written name on the bottom and turned to Misato wide eyed.

Being found out, the books were hers and not really old either, Misato averted her eyes from the man's questioning glance. "Well I was hoping she would. Ever since that accident the girl's been living on base. She doesn't seem to read them though, just school books and things the Commander gives her," Misato really wanted to change the topic. She had loved those books, her lack of a love life made those stand out as pillars of light in a cave of dark. "Don't look at me like that! I'm human too you know, and with work it's not like I can hit the dating scene," she hotly contested Shigeru's wandering eye.

Tossing the book back to the pile, Shigeru continued his small walk of the room Ayanami called home. "Sorry Captain, just figured you wouldn't need things like that. If you're looking for somebody, you do know Makoto…" Shigeru stopped when Misato turned on him. Ok, not an option and he should stop talking about it. Heading over to a blackened patch on the wall, a result of the last test, Shigeru finally shifted topics as Misato wanted. "So you see Maya's new assistant?" he asked with little interest.

"Yamazaki Linna? Girl is still overwhelmed by all reports. But what can you expect from a country girl coming to the city to find one of those groups. At least she's looking for the technology based one and not the freaky magic ones," Misato hated magic. She wasn't a spiritualistic, she was a realist. So when she saw magic for the first time, saw something that shouldn't and couldn't happen, well it rocked her world. At least she had been better than Ritsuko, poor woman was still trying to disprove it all. Seeing the light over the door turn red, it was opening, Misato took a deep breath, "Get ready for it. Time for another wild ride."

Quickly moving to Misato's side, Shigeru had his hand on the tranquilizer gun, he bounced on his feet as the door hissed and started to swing open. "Feel sorry for Ayanami. First she gets hurt in the activation test, then this whole mess with this alternate persona business. I mean she doesn't even get to get out of this room anymore. Kid has it rough. Think we could bring Ikari-kun in here? At least she could…could…" Shigeru back peddled as Misato turned on him.

"NO! No he cannot! He doesn't need to know about this problem unless its unavoidable. And I will not let him get in harm's way for no reason. Ayanami can read, and if we can control this we'll send her back to school," Misato railed on the man. It was unfair, both what happened to Rei and the attack on Shigeru, but Misato was to tense right now. She would not put Shinji into extra danger if she could help it. He was to important to Misato now to risk outside of official business. Family, he was becoming family damn it! Waving warmly at Ritsuko and Rei as the entered the door, she put on her best act.

Rei didn't seem annoyed by her new station in life, she stood before Misato and saluted. "Captain Katsuragi, I am ready for the trial," Rei stood relaxed as several section-2 agents walked in. They flanked the open door with weapons in hand.

"Ayanami, go strap yourself in as we go get ready to start the test. We'll be just outside the room. Tell us everything you can after it starts alright?" Ritsuko almost passed for concerned. The scientist gestured to the poll in the room and flinched her head towards the door. Following after Shigeru and Misato, the section-2 stayed in the room, and she shut the door. Rubbing her brow, Ritsuko went to the viewing window, "I don't know what to think about this Misato. It doesn't make sense. One day she's hurt, the next she's fully healed but she touches that bracelet and…"

Turning on recording equipment and sealing the room, Shigeru panned the occupants of Ayanami's room. "Makes sense we don't want the public to know about it. But I have to disagree with you Captain Katsuragi, that kid needs an anchor. And what happens if Ikari-kun is around her and she hit that thing? You saw what she did to last guard," Shigeru was smart enough to not be close to Misato when he voiced his opinion.

"That poor woman is why Shinji-kun isn't going to be around her until this is under control," Misato finished her cold coffee. During the last trial of Ayanami's condition, Rei broke free of her restraints and nearly burnt the woman to ash, poor agent was still in intensive care. Flipping on the microphone, "Insure those new bracers are in place and the blindfold and gag. Ayanami once they touch your shoulder give them ten seconds and start the test."

Licking her lips, Ritsuko leaned against the glass divider as the two section-2 set about their task. "Misato, if we can harness this power, we might be able to use it with the Eva's. Which means we might have to tell Ikari-kun about this soon. Keeping it a secret will just make things harder when you have to tell him. And are those heavier duty straps?" she pointed at the new accessories Rei was being fit with. Pulling a key out from around her neck, Ritsuko slid it into a waiting port on the console, "Sleep gas dispensers primed and ready. Begin."

"Not if I have my way. No reason to complicate his life more. Ibuki and her new trainee are rounding up a few of those victims. After we find what those vigilantes are after we can hopefully get it for them and get the out of the city. I want to remove as many obstacles to fighting the angels already, and magic using teenagers is a pretty big obstacle," Misato put her key in, only hers was a more lethal alternative. If Rei lost control, if she overcame the gas, Misato would end the threat hopefully.

In her room, Rei nodded at Ritsuko's command and the guards leveled their tranquilizers on her. Her bonds were leather cuffs reinforced with steel and gave her just enough movement to do the ordered command. Her lips moved, she was saying something that nobody had been able to discern yet and she caressed her bracelet. Instantly the girl's body was incased in tendrils of black energy that surrounded the teenager in an impenetrable shell. When the darkness seeped back into her, the girl they had known wasn't there. No longer a teenager in appearance, Rei now looked to be in her early twenties with pure white hair that went down to the ground. Her body looked more like Misato's now, maybe a little smaller in hip and bust but still impressive, and the plugsuit was replaced what looked like scales around her arms, shoulders, and legs.

"Ayanami, what can you tell us about the transformation?" Ritsuko was the first to recover from the shift. Ritsuko always was the first to get over the drastic shift in physical composition that overtook Rei. Leaning in closer to the mic again, "Ayanami can you hear me?" She asked when Rei never answered before, and they doubted she did this time.

Leaning on Shigeru's shoulder, Misato hovered over him, "Record everything, she's more docile this time. Maybe she's finally in control. Last angel might have had an effect on her." It was a hope, a small one, but what other reason was there for tempting fate like this. Try as they might the bracelet couldn't be removed without cutting off Rei's hand, and it was impossible to damage the thing itself without hurting Rei. With bated breath, Misato grabbed her key and held it, "Ayanami, show us a sign you hear us."

And like that the adult Rei stood up and flexed her hands effortlessly. Shrapnel from the cuffs went everywhere, a single shard pierced the glass divide and caused it to shatter. Taking off the facial restrictions, Rei smiled at the trio that had tried to hide in safety. "Oh, I hear you Katsuragi, or how about I call you Misato. I know you so well," the words came out sultry and powerfully.

"Take her down! Take her down now!" Misato ordered the two agents to fire. This was the exact opposite of what they wanted! This thing wasn't Rei, body mannerisms and voice were to far off norm to even hint it being the same docile girl. Drawing her own sidearm, she saw Shigeru drew his as well, Ritsuko was now the one prone and gaping. "Stand down and release Ayanami this instant!" Misato didn't know the girl but Misato didn't want bad things for her.

After the hail of darts flew at her, Rei moved with speed and dexterity of a trained gymnast with a rubber spine. Nothing hit her or she caught them between her fingers. Darting to the female in the room, her bracelet shifted into a strange looking blade and sliced the weapon in half. Holding the edge to her woman's throat, "Such a cute girl you are. Just bristling with love and desire, think I'll sample some." Bringing her lips close to but not touching the agent, a trail of mist flowed into Rei's mouth, and the agent fainted.

"What can we do to take her down with the glass destroyed, bring down the protective shield so we can gas her!" Misato ordered Ritsuko to act. But leave it to a scientist to panic and freeze up when they needed to act! Damn she wished she knew technology enough to do it herself, she didn't because she had thrown out the manuals. It wasn't her place to know how to operate EVERYTHING! That was what Miss Wet-spot was for! "Ayanami fight her, don't do this to them," man she wished she had more ammunition.

Sauntering over to the man now cowering in the corner with an empty weapon, Rei turned to Misato and smirked. "Oh she is in here, such a darling little girl. And you should see how I'm nurturing her feelings for that cutie that saved her life. Oh the things I will do to him when I get him. The quiet ones are my favorite," she gazed into the eyes of the man before her. He stood up and quickly started to tear his clothing off, eyes full of longing and his affection was clearly tented. Rei embraced him as she had the woman and drained him too. "Not as good as he'll taste, but an appetizer is still good. Now for you three…make a trade with me?" she waved at Shigeru.

Just looking in that woman's face was making Misato's mind fog over with converging thoughts. "Are you talking about Shinji-kun?" she felt herself asking. Those eyes they were drawing her in, promising her things, everything she ever wanted. Love, passion, bliss, happiness, everything she ever wanted was right in that woman's eyes. Fighting against it, envisioning that woman tearing into Shinji as she had those guards, "What do you want from us?" She grabbed Shigeru's shoulder and forced him down as he tried to vault into Rei's room.

Doing a small stripe tease using the post that confined her as a poll, she licked it with the flat of her tongue. "Everything eventually. You have such a tasty body. But for now…this vessel is getting out of this room and into someplace nice. Your apartment building, not that hole she was in before. Do that and maybe I'll take it easy for a while, enjoy my new freedom. Don't do what I say and," a pulse rippled out of Rei's body and slammed into the walls. The walls cracked and the lights went out. "Oh and don't stop me from playing with that lovely boy. You'd be amazed at the visions I've given her and how she enjoys them," she rubbed against the post sending Shigeru to the ground cradling himself.

Ritsuko was down in shock, Shigeru was in a post climax coma, Misato didn't know what to do. She couldn't move, couldn't react, all she could do was realize she was a small creature before a beast. "I'll see what I can do. But if you hurt him you'll never see me coming," Misato pulled her key out of the console. And just like that, Rei's body reverted to its normal state and the girl was laying on the ground. Doing as Shigeru had tried so hard to do, Misato vaulted over the broken glass and into Rei's room. First checking the guards, they were just unconscious, Misato picked up the wafer thin girl and held her.

"Ayanami, Rei are you alright?" Misato shook the girl in her arms gently. Damn this girl was super thin, like holding air! She did look at that cursed bracelet on Rei's wrist with its red flesh looking gem in it. How had the poor girl get that thing, what was it doing to her, could they stop it? When Rei started to wake, those ruby eyes flashed a few times in confusion but not fear, Misato sighed in relief. Setting Rei down, yet holding onto her shoulder, "You alright Ayanami, you remember anything?"

Shaking her head slowly, Rei accepting Misato's aid as they walked to the destroyed bed. "I feel light headed. I have thoughts, they are different, not bad, just…" Rei grabbed at Misato's flight jacket. A moment of hesitation, Rei didn't want to sit in the devastated room, but did when Misato forced her down.

"Do you want to talk about it Aya-Rei?" Misato didn't want to know, but she had to. Something was living in that girl, something magical, and Misato hated it. It was holding Rei hostage, or was it? Misato didn't know what, but she'd not get overcome like that again! "And I was thinking it was time we got you out of this place," Misato said if the being in the girl was listening.

In the darkness of the room, Rei shrugged as her eyes glowed a little. The being inside her responded to Misato's comment. Rei didn't talk, but continued to hold onto Misato for a solid twenty minutes. Eventually Ritsuko and Shigeru recovered from their respective shocks. Shigeru was given orders to get Rei moved, Ritsuko took the reports and retreated to her lab to research. Misato just sat there with that frail girl in her arms, that mystery of unknown intent, and waited until Shigeru finished. Once he did, Misato lead her off to a waiting car to take her to her new apartment.

Then it was time for her to go home, Misato was to frazzled to think much. Magic, gods she hated magic. It just put a spike in the natural order. Walking into the apartment, Misato found it dark, not surprising since it was past midnight. A covered meal and a box containing some cake, damn boy went out of his way for her again. She ate her meal and worried…what did that thing have in store for Shinji or Rei if they didn't abide her command. "Not enough, isn't that right Pen-Pen? That thing tries anything and we'll take her down," Misato picked Pen-Pen up and pet under his bill. They'd stop that thing.

X-X

Scribbling the last of the notes from the board into a word document, Kensuke hated running late. He also hated the obligatory cooking lessons that they had to take once a week. Normally it meant that it was Shinji cooking lunch for Touji and himself, only Touji was gone today. The jock was off visiting his sister in the hospital. "That means we have to have somebody else in our group, stupid rules," Kensuke hated blind obedience. Would it be one of the jerks, the ones that picked on him when others weren't around? Maybe the lazy kids that envied the smells Shinji could make with the food.

"Might as well get it over with, hungry," Kensuke put his laptop away and headed off. Passing other rooms, students sat bored or obediently taking notes, Kensuke let his mind wander instead. Last night he had scanned headlines and more importantly security systems for news of magical girl sightings. It was more fun to hack info about those beautiful women than risk jail time with trying the same of Nerv. He could ask Shinji questions about Nerv without fear, nobody would really mind if he stole a few images of the new heroines of the city. Rubbing his rumbling stomach, "It's a little dry right now though."

Last few days had been quiet on the maho-shoujo front. A blurry image of a new girl in purple, one that was accused of stealing a painting, and more on the missing military hardware was not much to wet his appetite. "Knights Sabers is my primary, Sailor Senshi second," he could dream big. Maybe if he found the Sabers they'd let him work with them! Now that would be awesome, something he could brag to Touji and Shinji about. Shinji had his pilot status even though Shinji never bragged, and Touji had his track successes which he DID boast of all the time. It was hard to brag about secret computer dealings, harder still to prove they were real.

"So who is our third today, Shin-man?" Kensuke did like that little nickname. He headed into the room that served as the communal kitchen, and found Shinji at their customary table without the mandated third. Shinji was busy tossing some beef patty between his hands, making it nice and flat. Hamburger steak, one of Kensuke's favorites but rarely got. It was had to make, at least hard to replicate Shinji's manner of doing. Flashing the thumbs up for the meal, "We get lucky and they let it just be the two of us?" Touji would have eaten it all, those steaks were small, so fewer people the better.

Adding the seasoned and flattened patty to a twin, Shinji started working on the triplet. "I believe Kino-san is going to be in our group. Hokari-san was asked to join her normal group, so she was needing a team to join. She's talking to Aino-san and Mizuno-san over there right now," Shinji flinched his shoulder at the gabbing troupe of girls. Not one to actually look at girls directly, Shinji kept his hands focused. Yet something seemed off about Shinji, he was even more reserved than usual. Hiding something no doubt!

"Man, why couldn't it have actually been Aino-san! She's a vision a true vision…not well you know," Kensuke saddled up to the table. Putting on his apron, never was good to get meat juice or vegetable matter on his clothing. Finding a waiting pile of carrots to clean and cut, he grabbed the knife and got to work. Makoto was an attractive girl it was true, but was to tall and muscular for Kensuke's liking. The smaller boy favored smaller girls. Rumor of Kino's violent tendencies and fighting were also a turn off. Still a girl was better than the boys they could have been forced to deal with. "So what's on your mind, Shin-man. Something at Nerv?" he could hope Shinji would confess.

Rolling the meat on the cutting board, it picked up the sprinkled spices, Shinji shrugged. "No, nothing at Nerv. Just yesterday was a little strange, don't know what to think of it," Shinji opened up a little. Kensuke and Touji both knew Shinji was more open when relaxed, and cooking relaxed him. Grabbing a pepper shaker, Shinji applied a bit more to the mix. "I went to use the coupon yesterday. Maybe I was just expecting it to be a joke or something," Shinji bashfully admitted.

"You dog! We were supposed to go as a group! Akira-sama's special ticket is so rare! But I guess even you could want some private time with a girl," Kensuke didn't let his bitterness get the better of him. It would have been awesome to eat a meal with the crimson beauty of Anne Millers, but the choice had been Shinji's. So there went Kensuke's hope that the blond that followed Honjouji would join the fictional dinner and talk to him. A man could hope, but hopes didn't always come true. Swallowing his disappointment he prompted, "So what happened then? Was it a joke, she doesn't seem the type."

Back to tossing the meat between his hands, Shinji bristled as motion caught his eye. Kino was on her way back over, an unknown element was being brought into the mix. Kensuke liked that about Shinji a lot, the boy was equally uncomfortable around girls as he was. Touji could lie and pretend to be a lady's man, but Shinji was already fumbling about already. Unevenly answering the question quickly, "Not a joke, but confusing. Honjouji-san wanted to thank me for…helping her with a problem she had last week. Her friend, Karen-san I think her name is, said something odd and upset Honjouji. Then she had an accident and spilled a soda on me."

"Ouch, that had to be a real mood killer. You at least get to eat?" Kensuke cut his carrot clumsily. Maybe he should spend more time trying to learn how to cook, girls liked guys that could cook right? Peeking around the room, Kensuke didn't see any girls making google eyes at Shinji for his culinary prowess though. So much for that urban fable. Pushing his glasses up as images of water soaked Anne Miller maids filled his head, "Get any on Akira-sama or herself?"

"Some on Honjouji-san yes, mostly on me though. They gave me a chef uniform to wear while it was cleaned…the manager thought I was a slacking worker. Yelled at me and made me work. End of the night though she learned better and offered me a job. I'm going to work two days a week until the woman I'm replacing gets off maternity leave," Shinji waved weakly at Makoto as she joined them.

Putting her own apron on, the taller girl balked at the amount of prep work already finished. "You've made three hamburger steaks already? Ikari-kun do you cook often?" she picked up on of the already prepped steaks. Towering over Kensuke by a full foot, Makoto held the meat to her nose and took a dainty sniff. Amazed she set it down softly, "Smells good, very good. Sorry it took me so long to get over…they um…well they needed my help a little."

Waving off Makoto's concern, Kensuke took the reins of conversation as Shinji was drawing in on himself. "Shin-man cooks all the time, he's not like Touji or me. Never a school lunch for him. Do you like this type of dish, Kino-san?" get in good with her and maybe she'd introduce Kensuke to heaven! Kino was part of one of the most heavily sought after clichés of girls in school. One of them had a boyfriend, a lot older, but the other four were open for pursuit.

"Like it? I love it! One of my favorites. A nice steak and salad is a great meal," Makoto's voice was rich and filled the room. Just like her body, the girl's voice was powerful and intimidating. With the eyes of the whole room on their table after her outburst, Makoto grabbed her knife and started chopping lettuce. Standing between Kensuke and Shinji, the brunette was equally if not better with food processing than Shinji was, after a quick observation. "S-sorry about that, I forget how loud I can get at times," she peeked at the table her friends were at then back at her hands.

Adding the final patty to the tray, Shinji put it into the oven and set it to cook. "N-no issue Kino-san. And I do like cooking. I don't want to bother my guardian, so I make most of the meals in the apartment. Glad you like it. And if your friends need your help, we can finish here and let you go back to them. No reason to…keep you here if you'd rather," Shinji just wasn't comfortable around strangers. He was polite and quant, yet he didn't look up at the girl's face.

"I couldn't let you do that! It wouldn't be fair for me to enjoy the meal without helping. Just like my own apartment, if I don't cook I don't eat. They're far enough along to get it themselves," Makoto squirmed a bit and actually moved a little closer to Shinji. Adding her cut up lettuce to a trio of bowls, she grabbed some tomatoes and started cutting. Was her hands moving faster and faster, was that safe? Was she nervous?

Kensuke couldn't believe what he was seeing! If Touji had been there, maybe the jock would have called it out, but as it was the event went on unimpeded. It was as if Kino was shyly flirting with Shinji! And Shinji had no idea and was just playing along! This was…well Kensuke didn't know really. Shinji didn't have a girlfriend, but was an amazon like Kino really suited? Maybe, maybe not. But Kensuke could help his bud couldn't he? "Well Shin-man makes lunch for us on occasion, maybe you two could trade recipes or something? He's going to be a chef at Anne Miller's now, he could…" a clatter of metal a sharp hiss and Makoto was holding her hand.

Letting the knife clatter to the countertop, crimson flowed from a cut, Makoto didn't pay it much mind. She turned to Kensuke and then to Shinji. "You're going to work at THAT place? I thought they only hired women," her tone was accusation almost hurt. If Shinji noticed the concern in her voice, or maybe it was fear, he didn't draw attention. He took her hand in his quickly, apparently Shinji could get over his personal space issues if necessity dictated.

"Kensuke go grab a bandage or something from the nurses office, Kino-san hold still," Shinji barked orders. It was strange, the tranquil and timid boy came off as dominating and commanding in that one moment. The room watched, captivated to see the boy that hid away from others holding a girl's hand and giving orders. So much so that Kensuke was still standing as Shinji tore off part of his apron, "Kensuke go now, the cut isn't that bad but could get infected if not treated."

Nodding and back stepping, Kensuke hated the sight of blood, well in real life. His stomach seized up and went queasy. Yet a look at the victim of the accident, Kensuke saw her blushing! The giant was actually blushing over having Shinji tend to her hand? Rushing off as another small gout of blood trickled out through the makeshift tourniquet. Rushing out of the room, he nearly stumbled as he threw the door open and rounded it. "Man, maybe I'm just seeing things, but looked like…" he gasped.

Next time track came up for gym, Kensuke was going to try a little harder. Getting winded running down a hallway wasn't very good. Future plans of joining Nerv or the JSDF would demand he have more lung capacity than a sandwich bag. Walking the last of the way to the nurse's office, a finger cut wasn't life threatening and Shinji was overreacting, Kensuke let himself recover. Finding the room empty, Kensuke was astonished. "Isn't their always supposed to have somebody here?" he wondered aloud.

But no nurse was present, two of the beds had sleeping students in them, so Kensuke stayed quiet. Going through the medicine cabinet that was blessedly unlocked, he found a small disinfectant swab and a Band-Aid. "All she needs, though betting she just wants him to hold her hand," Kensuke still felt light hearted at that. He'd never suspected one of the cliché of girls, even though it was the lesser of them, would go for Shinji. "Hope it's not some popularity stunt," Kensuke wouldn't allow that. He had methods of revenge, get some pictures, use a little editing, and see what hurting his friends would garner.

"Well maybe it's just Shin-man's little sudden boldness that messed with her head," Kensuke mused. Half jogging back to the room, he didn't want to jump to conclusions to quick. Keep an eye open, see if the girl starts bringing in lunches for Shinji or something. Rounding the steps back to the kitchen area, his stomach was raging now, Kensuke saw something he had no real appreciation of. Ayanami Rei was standing outside the door and looking in. She had an expression on her face, one Kensuke couldn't make out. Was it confusion, anger, sadness, it was just a slight down turn of her lips, but for Rei that was something. "Ayanami-san, you're here today? Just get in?" she hadn't been in class earlier.

Not taking her eyes off of the room, Rei continued to stare that unblinking gaze into the cracked door. "I was finalizing paperwork for my new lodging," she said without even addressing Kensuke by name. Her hand flexed open and closed, it was a loop of open and closed that was speeding up, and a small twitch crept into the corner of her eye.

Rei unnerved Kensuke somewhat, but he'd never admit it. Girl could have been attractive if she actually put a modicum of care into it, but her personality was just so bizarre that left Kensuke wanting nothing to do with her. But seeing her concentrate and dare he say normal, it peeked Kensuke's interest. Moving up close to her, practically over her shoulder, he could smell her shampoo…it was medicinal and stung his nose. All Kensuke saw was Shinji tying a fresh bandage on Makoto's finger. "Something wrong Ayanami-san? Kino-san cut her finger while we were cooking, she's in our group since Touji is out," Kensuke informed.

"Something wrong?" Rei finally reacted to Kensuke's proximity. She moved away from him, breaking her view of the events inside. "I…do not know," her hand went to her chest and grabbed at her bow. Playing with the cloth with her fingers, she pensively bit her lower lip as she struggled for the words for what she needed. Shaking her head, her unruly hair went wild and fell over her eyes, "Strange, I feel strange. Excuse me. I have to report to the principal to report my new address." Walking brusquely past Kensuke, knocking into him, she left without another word and clutching her head.

While Touji thought Rei might have had a thing for Shinji after the last battle, Kensuke didn't know if he'd bite that bait. Rei didn't seem to know herself let alone other people. Rejoining the others, Kensuke gave Shinji the requested first aid items, "Sorry for the delay. I had to find this myself. The office was empty." But that crestfallen expression that he saw, or thought he saw, on Kino's face was telling. If it wasn't just an illusion, Kino was enjoying the attention Shinji was paying her.

"Thanks, Kensuke," Shinji bit open the disinfectant, removed the bloodied bandage and applied it. Once the new cloth was applied, Shinji reverted to his normal passive and reserved self. "S-sorry about that Kino-san. It's just you have such lovely hands…I mean…" and like that Shinji's face blossomed and his mouth shut tight like a clam. Kino didn't say anything either, she just looked at her fingers and the bandage that was there now.

They remained silent until the bell from the oven chimed. Shinji set the plates and Makoto headed off to join her friends in enjoying the meal. Kensuke teased Shinji about Kino's hands and Shinji's appreciation of them. Food was good too, and as they went back to class Kensuke was content. Time to get back to hacking for information about those Senshi. He'd keep tabs on Kino, be a nice diversion from his important things.

X-X

Panting a little, Ami would never be a physically capable as the others and she knew it. Running down darkened streets and occasionally vaulting garden fences or dividing walls, the four were moving from one fight to a potential other. "Are we sure we want to keep going tonight? We already procured a crystal tonight, and it's not like we're the only troupe now," she asked her companions. It wasn't cowardice or even fear that made her want to stop, it was the green film that covered her.

"I agree with Mercury," Makoto quipped as she lead the slowing of the fighting force. They were standing below their target anyway, a half constructed building. Spikes of metal went high into the air like fine pointed teeth of a lower jaw. The walls stopped existing and only floors about half way up the ten story edifice. Putting her hands on her hips she leaned back to look up the building, her bust jutting out proudly and mockingly to the others. Letting out a whistle, "We not only fought that mushroom man-thing but also had a small skirmish with those Mew-Mew's…god what stupid name."

Vaulting off one of empty construction supply sheds, Minako knelt and tittered a little. "Well we can't all have good troupe names. And it's not the groups I'm worried about, it's the sole fighters I'm worried about. They're stronger than they look. That one at the museum the other day was something else. Stole a painting with a chess piece. If one of those is up there, we're in for a big fight. AND Sailor Moon isn't here either! She's going to need punishment," Minako got off her knees and dusted herself off.

"Well she hasn't had much time to be with Tuxedo Mask…give her a little credit?" Ami would also support Usagi. Even if it was a bad idea to do so, Usagi was just to hard to disobey. Grabbing her left earing the transparent blue visor of her monitor flashed to life. Energy could be seen being discharged up ahead, fireworks of numbers and calculations that her quick mind translated into meaning. It helped her to have something to think about, it kept the growing burning in her less prevalent. Whatever that mold was, it was having an effect on her, one she wasn't used to. "It's not like we need her to help fight these minions, and we've no clue where the leaders are," Ami disliked the sheer amount of things they didn't know.

Already at the door, Rei stopped and her fist shook with anger as her eyes clenched shut and vanished in the flesh of her face. "That idiot is just flaunting her boyfriend to us now! We're out here fighting for these crystals and she's out on a date! How is that fair? It better not stay this way for long," Rei's shrill voice echoed off the various metal pipes and sheets. Grabbing a talisman from her stock, she chanted and let the paper float against the wind to the lock on the door. A moment of blue flame erupted and the clank of metal and chain on ground was heard. Guess there would be no rest for the weary.

"Boyfriend…" Makoto mused as she approached Ami with a hazy look on her face, "I wouldn't mind one of those myself. One that actually cares about me and not intimidated or…you know just wanting something physical." She brushed off some of the green powder that clung to Ami's exposed arm. "Sheesh you got that stuff all over you. It hurt or anything?" she asked and coughed a little as the spores took flight on the wind.

It had been a surprise attack from the monster they had all written off as defeated. One moment Ami is leading the four inner senshi towards the reading on her scouter, the next they're surrounding the five younger looking Mew-Mew's. The animal infused girls were struggling with the fat mushroom thing. It made wide and slow attacks that left creators wherever they hit. A combined attack from Rei, Minako, and Makoto was enough to send the creature down to the ground a smoldering mess. That's when the fighting started with the Mew-Mew's over who should get the crystal. Not for the first time, Ami felt useless in a fight, her 'attack' was just fog or bubbles…truly a frightening attack!

No blows were exchanged, Makoto strong armed them into turning it over. 'To the stronger go the spoils, or you'll just lose it,' the bigger girl had said. And it made sense, if they Mew-Mew's were having such trouble where the Senshi such ease, the lesser girls would just get beat eventually and lose the crystal. Perhaps it was the fight fatigue or maybe they were smart enough to realize it, but the younger girls resisted only a little before nodded. And that was when the mushroom thing vented its spores. Not being close to the fight, she wasn't really there to use her fists, Ami was hit full bore by it while the others escaped. After the green mist faded only the crystal remained. And the mind cloying haze that was settling in.

"I'm fine Jupiter. Just tired is all, it's getting late and we've already had two fights tonight," Ami wouldn't let them look down on her. She was perfectly fine in self-abasement, no additional help was needed for that, thank you very much. Though the topic of boyfriends…a heat spread across Ami's chest, that was new. "As for boyfriend, are you talking about your little show with Ikari-kun today?" Ami teased. Though in hindsight, Ikari was pretty easy on the eyes…NO…she wasn't that type of girl. Dating and boys, that was for…but that heat in her chest increased.

Helping Rei open the door, Minako abandoned her task for a more enjoyable chore of gossip. "Yeah, you left us to cook for ourselves today so you could talk to that boy? I thought you went for the bigger guys like Motoki," Minako did love to talk about relationships. Trying to be the proverbial Venus as her namesake was, though her own love life was rather barren like the rest of them. "That Ikari boy seems more the type for Mercury here. She likes the geeky guys. Though he was pretty cute over lunch, his little brush with ordering people around gave me a little chill," she rubbed her arms for emphasis.

"He is not geeky/What do you mean?" Ami and Makoto shouted in unison. They both looked at one another as Makoto's color raised and Ami shifted away uncomfortably. Pounding her chest, damn she liked to flaunt those to the others, Makoto stomped, "Motoki was intimidated by me, and anyway he left the city already. And why do you care what type of boy I like anyway. You're just about the flashy pretty boys."

Following the others into the building, Ami let her scouter work its sweet sciency magic and find the elevator. "W-when have I even hinted at liking boys like that. I don't have time really. And like Jupiter said, why are you interested Venus? G-going to try changing your tastes?" Ami felt the others behind her. Why couldn't they have any technology! At times like this they all went to the geeky girl to lead the way, they couldn't be bothered with the task of using anything other than phones! Anger swelled in her, a delicious and spicy anger, another new thing! Anger wasn't all bad was it?

"Could you three stop talking about boys, in particular that boy? I swear it's all Jupiter talks about when we're together. I'm half tempted to ask him out just to end this bickering," Rei brushed past Ami once they got to the elevator. It was a working service elevator and opened instantly when she pushed the button. Fluffing her hair as the others gaped at her with wide and accusation in their eyes. Huffing and crossing her arms, "What am I not able to have a love life either? K-Kumada-kun left the shrine too. His parents said it was to dangerous."

Piling into the elevator, the four girls stood far closer to one another than necessary. All, well all save Ami, glared at one another and sized each other up. "You stay away from Ikari-kun, I'm going to ask him out when I'm ready. You heard what he said about me, what he did for me," Makoto thrust herself into the group. The bigger woman's bust pushed inward and the others all backed off lest they be hit. They all had a small twinge of fear of female-on-female contact. Not that they thought it was bad, just they didn't want MORE strange rumors from their opponents. Those made for awkward fights.

"Maybe you could join tutoring group I've been asked to set up for hi…" Ami quickly covered her mouth. STUPID! She wasn't supposed to say anything about that, she hadn't accepted it yet! Before she had left school the class representative asked if she'd have time to assist the pilot in his studies. Not due to him being stupid, more his other obligations to that Nerv place kept him away a lot. Initially intending to turn down the request, now she wasn't sure she wanted to. A nice and tasty boy in her room, she'd casually take off her outer shir…ok…that mold was doing something to her hormones and she needed a legion of cold showers.

"I'm in/I could use some help/Could be fun," the others all said instantly and then returned to glaring at each other. The soft ding of the elevator sounded off more floors. Soft growling, grinding of feet, and clenching of teeth filled the cabin. Ami mused that maybe they did get some of the mold in their systems too. Psychological attacks, they'd never fought monsters that used very sophisticated versions of that. And as the cabin stopped they all turned to Ami and in unison, "Set it up/Tell me when/Thanks." Yeah, always dumping on the smart one, she'd show them! She'd set it up without them knowing and…she smacked her face to stop her descent.

Well that ended her debate, Ami backed down as she always did when her friends confronted her with something. "I'll keep you," her mouth went dry as the door opened. Over the last year or so, Ami and her friends had seen many frightening things but none were ready for what they saw when the doors opened.

What they saw initially wasn't that unexpected, a large creature that looked like the Oni of lore stomped towards its prey. The dark made the creature's red skin appear much more sinister and the light caught on the spiked bat it had swung over its shoulder. Its intended victim was known to Makoto and Ami as Shiki, who pointed her staff at the creature. What stole their breath was the tiny ball of light that one moment hung between the tongs of the lance and then launched in a beam of pure white and red. It was a solid beam that went from the lance and continued in a straight light out into the atmosphere. It looked, to Ami, similar to the energy weapon that the latest angel used.

"Stupid, still too strong, I need to learn to control that!" Shiki berated herself. Not yet noticing the approaching four, she went to the lower half of the Oni. It was all that remained of the creature that had been licking its lips just moments earlier. Perspiration hung about the girl's body, her exposed flesh was shiny to the viewer. Grabbing for the floating gem, "But at least it's over," her hand didn't get there though as Minako's 'love-me chain' wrapped around her wrist.

Ami HATED that name, did Minako had to make everything into some euphemism of love? Minako wouldn't know love from lust! Yummy lust, all those things she heard the other girls in school talking about and she denied herself. Was it really so bad, should she really shun it so harsh and hide from it. Was Shiki flying at her? Oh wow she was, but why? No matter, Ami just blinked a few times before they new girl collided with her. Her vision went black as their heads collided with a thunderous crack, firecrackers of pain went off in her head and she felt the ground rush up to meet her. Then she felt the pressure of a body on top of hers…where those lips she was feeling?

"Mercury why didn't you move!" Rei yelled as the others sprung into action. Their feet clomping like a disorganized herd of horses as they approached like white knights to save the fallen princess.

Softness and honeyed, that's what Ami felt as those lips caressed her own. A groan, mayhap a moan escaped Shiki's lips and it went into Ami's mouth and triggered something. It was good, it felt so good, but at the same time wrong. Wrapping her legs around the girl's body and arms around her neck, Ami wasn't ready for the moment to end and held on. Drinking in, feeding the unexpected need in her, she felt herself lifted off the ground, that odd staff crushed between their bodies.

"That's right Mercury, hold her! Don't let her escape with that crystal!" Minako's rallying cry wafted unsuspectingly over the night air. So the others couldn't see what was really going on.

Shiki did, and Shiki panicked frantically in Ami's embrace. "Hmmph! HMMPH!" silly girl tried to talk and opened her mouth. Well that just gave Ami something else to do and try to use in subjugating the fellow fighter of justice. In an unexpected show of strength though, she broke her arms free and pushed Ami's head away. "What are you…why?" Shiki was flush and her lips wet with saliva. Grabbing her lance, Shiki dropped her questioning and just pushed the lance's staff against Ami's stomach and gained leverage.

"Don't fight us! D-don't go yet! T-tell us what you're after," Ami tried to regain her senses. But all she could see were those features, high cheekbones, and those eyes. Wait…those blue eyes they looked familiar to her, but that didn't make sense! Her strength was sapped though, and her legs mush and more than a little damp, so the push sent her falling to the ground. Crumpled, Ami reached out after Shiki as she stood over her. Was that hesitation or worry on the strange woman's face?

Leaping up as a flaming phoenix crashed into where she had just been standing, Shiki made her lance vanish. "That was an accident! And this is mine. I don't…don't know what it's for yet, but I know I need them. Don't get in my way please. But if you need help," Shiki shrugged not knowing how to continue. Only if she confessed her identity would anybody be able to actually seek her aid. And that wasn't something that was going to happen, not yet anyway. Diving over the edge of the building, Shiki was once again to slippery to catch.

"Mercury-Mercury-AMI-CHAN! Are you alright?" it was Minako that helped Ami off the ground. Checking for injuries, Minako forgot how those bruises would vanish once Ami left her battle form. "I thought you'd get out of the way when I threw Shiki. Why weren't you paying attention to the plan? We were going to throw her towards you, you cover her in mist, and then we could knock her out. If we knock her out we could learn who she really is!" Minako wasn't the 'leader' of the senshi for nothing.

With Rei holding her other arm, Ami rubbed her head and tried to free her head of the fog that enveloped her higher brain functions. "I'm fine, just unsettled by that blast. If she used that on us we'd not survive it," a truth but also a lie. They didn't question her, thankfully. Leaving the construction site, the took a moment to check if Shiki had fallen to her death. Thankfully not. The quartet split up and went home after that. Ami sat on her bed, trying not to think of the dull throb between her legs. Oh she knew of a way to end it, but she wasn't that type of girl. But she did start writing a lesson plan for the tutoring session…and other plans.

X-X

Standing in an aisle behind Anne Miller's, Shinji leaned against the brick wall and panted. "Pen-Pen I don't think I'm getting the hang of this," Shinji complained. A day after his encounter with the Sailor Senshi, Shinji was spending his lovely Sunday off working his new job and now training. It had been a morning shift, no Akira or Karen this time thankfully, and when he walked out he was summoned by Pen-Pen to the aisle for training. The shift had been easy, the other workers didn't talk to him other than to make orders, nice and polite but they gave him an odd eye and that was it. A blue haired girl asked him how he knew Akira, Shinji replied it was just in passing really. Karen had to have been mistaken about Akira's affections.

"Well you won't get better unless you keep trying harder. And you can't say the rewards for helping me aren't great!" Pen-Pen waved his flipper at Shinji. The other small clawed wing had a Yebisu the bird had brought with it, one of many. How Pen-Pen got those chilled cans, Shinji suspected that little memory altering trick was involved. Pouring the brew in his beak, he sputtered a little, "And you're doing fine. So fine in fact I'm thinking its time I gave you a gift."

If Pen-Pen said something perverted again Shinji was going home. For the last two hours after his shift ended, just before the lunch prep started, Shinji had listened to the bird make crude jokes and odd comments. "No more jokes alright, not my type of humor. And can't I do this without transforming? This costume really rides up high," Shinji pulled a bit of the clothing out of his rump. All he had done for his training was summon more of those beams and release it. Pen-Pen called it intensity control, since Shinji's last use was…well scary as fuck.

"You're no fun kid, no fun at all. And the uniform is supposed to ride up high! Those Oni are horny devils you know, you have to distract them!" Pen-Pen ran his flipper down Shinji's thigh. Pitching the empty can over the dividing wall and into Miller's garbage, Pen-Pen plucked a feather off his underwing. Holding out the plumage, "Take ahold of this my girl. And don't you dare lose it, hurts like a bitch to get these."

A cold chill went down Shinji's spine at the touch and the connotation of his mentor's actions. Plucking the feather, Shinji just looked at it, "What is this supposed to do? I sweep up dozens of these a week. You shed a lot. And what rewards are you talking about? Losing my cello time? Being attacked by horrible monsters that want to kill me at best or violate me at worst?" He had only fought a handful of creatures, some male and fewer female, but they all had the same agenda for fallen heros.

Hoping to the wall, and vaulting between the two buildings up to the roof, Pen-Pen was quite spry for a tiny and pudgy bird. "Get up here so I can show you a few things. Or do you want me to stop using the toilet and go back to the litter box. Misa-chan won't clean it and I've no problem missing on occasion," and there was the oh so subtle blackmail.

"At least I'm more physically capable in this form," Shinji muttered as he did the same wall jumping. It was quite amazing to finally be physically capable now. Stronger, faster, lighter, and more durable in his transformed body were very nice benefits. Sadly they didn't transfer totally to his normal body, and man did the female body get sensitive in odd places. "I will NOT do what he says…that seems creepy," Shinji refused to experiment with his alternate body. Rolling on the ground, Pen-Pen tripped the poor lad once he landed and hopped on Shinji's exposed stomach and plopped down.

Those eyes gleamed with light, humor or malice unknown, Pen-Pen patted Shinji's cheek with a few quick slaps. "You can't say you haven't been having some fun here. I saw you making nice with that blue hair last night. Should have slipped her the tongue as she did you. And that tasty red-head from that bastion of flesh and wonder you work? Boy all you have to do is ask and she'd let you pull that tantalizing front down. Girl is stacked and ready to bear!" Pen-Pen went into a small frenzy. Wobbling back and forth, his little legs clawed into Shinji and his wings went wild…Pen-Pen's excitement was self contained.

"Wait, how do you know about those? I didn't tell you about what happened between uh…Mercury I think her name is. And what do you know of Honjouin-san?" Shinji rolled over and sent Pen-Pen flying. Getting off that roof, feather still in hand, Shinji summoned his lance. Pen-Pen was getting a little to friendly with those touches, Shinji wasn't going to let the bird have his way all the time! Slowly stalking closer to the dazed avian, "And I don't see how that is supposed to make hunting these gems for you worth it. Gems that you don't tell me what they are for I might add!" One thing about this mess that Shinji liked was he was getting at standing up for himself.

Fast, far faster than those tiny legs should be, Pen-Pen outran Shinji without so much as making a sound. "That is the spirit! Go after what you want! And a little sugar goes a long way. And I'm leading you to the path of the whole honey pot, my girl. The…whole…pot," those squawks where shrill and ear splitting, Pen-Pen's laughing voice. Leaping off the ledge, his wings flapping, Pen-Pen descended to the street cackling, "And that Akira-girl, she's got it bad for your skinny but if you'd open your eyes. And you owe my saving both of you for that!"

"That is a lie you dumb bird! Her friend was mistaken is all! Why else would she be avoiding me at work!" Shinji jumped off after, taking the bait. As the air rushed up and made his now longer hair spin and twirl about, Shinji saw a good number of people down below. Sunday afternoon outside the shopping district, so many people. He'd be seen! They'd point and shout at the sudden Magical Girl in their midst…guys would take pictures of him in his 'sexy armor' as Pen-Pen put it. As the ground greeted his feet, magically no pain at all, Shinji flinched expecting all the shouting. None came, peeking out, "What the…?"

Giving Shinji a good swat on the ass, Pen-Pen's head cocked to the side and gibbered about. "That feather will mask you from peoples eyes. How the hell do you think I got to your little love nest, I mean job? Or your school where that tall chick was all but throwing her underwear at you? Seriously if you like tall girls that one wants your D…well when you actually have one," Pen-Pen peeked at where said letter would have been. Leaping out of the way of Shinji's kick, Pen-Pen landed on the pupil's exposed leg, "As long as you hold that in your hand nobody will hear or see you, well normal people."

"That is how you'd disappear after making a mess in the apartment! Do you use that to spy on Misato-san!?" Shinji blanched. How much had that bird seen, how much was supposed to be secret yet not because of Pen-Pen's latent abilities. Rushing after Pen-Pen as the bird started running in panic, Shinji's hands were outstretched and grasping. Dangerously close, every so often he'd feel those silky feathers on his fingertips but not enough to get a hold. Calling out loudly, blinded by the all consuming need to protect Misato, "Pen-Pen stop runn…"

Stopping on a dime, full tilt running and just instant stop, Pen-Pen was the speed bump that sent Shinji rolling to the ground and crashing into a pile of trash bins. Waddling over to the now rubbish covered Child, "I have to survive somehow, my girl. Unlike you I appreciate what Misa-chan is. And if you want to watch I won't say a word. Or if you're too afraid, I could tell you whose name she calls out when she's visited by Mr. Green."

"Mr. Green what are you…oh sick! Pen-Pen what is wrong with you?" Shinji threw himself out of the garbage. Wet paper clung to his hair, garbage wrapped around his exposed legs, but Shinji repressed the urge to gag at the smell. Shinji had stumbled upon 'Mr. Green' while cleaning Misato's room, the one and only time he cleaned her room specifically. Misato didn't know about that little discovery, and Shinji didn't think less of her for it. She was human, he was human, and at times you just had to…you know. "I don't want to know about stuff…where are we?" Shinji looked about and didn't know where he was.

Brushing off a used condom from his protégée, Pen-Pen headed deeper into the industrial complex. "Even if I was to tell you it was you? Am I lying am I telling the truth, want to know?" Pen-Pen's head twisted to see Shinji yet continued to walk. His wheezing laugh accompanied Shinji's red faced head shaking, "Maybe later then. And why were are here is the a practical lesson. How do I know that Makoto and her friends are up to something good, or that Akira and her motor boating puppies would jump you in a heartbeat is this." The bird got to a corner and waved Shinji to look around.

"I'm not listening to you, all you do is tease me," Shinji had so little stock in Pen-Pen's words they were worth pennies. Had Shinji ever been to a factory before he'd notice that it was far too quiet . Holding the feather harder, he looked around the corner and nearly feel over Pen-Pen again. "What are…are those robots?" Shinji pointed at an ongoing fight.

A trio of human sized robotic looking creatures were fighting an another one that was twice their size. The three smaller ones had a distinct female shape about them while the large mass of wires and fused vehicles was defiantly masculine. The women were having an easy time, almost playing with their adversary. A green one was up close and punching with terrifying results, large swatchs of metal disintegrating with each blow, the pink one was ranged and firing odd bolts, and the blue was a mix of the two.

"Those are humans, call themselves the Knights Sabers. And what we are doing is observing. Observe your enemies and learn their weaknesses. Or observe your roommate as he sings while he cooks breakfast," Pen-Pen bounced off Shinji's leg. "They are out of your league right now. They'd tear your pretty head off or capture you. They find out your identity and that could spell disaster. However if we find out theirs," Pen-Pen let out his creepy laugh again.

Watching those suits tear into the tons of metal that was pitifully trying to fight back, Shinji just cringed. "I hope I don't have to fight these people, any of them. And I wasn't…" Shinji was going to never be at rest again. If Pen-Pen could be hiding around him at any time, Shinji was always going to on edge. That damn bird had listened to him singing? He was a horrible singer but had fun anyway. It was why he did it when nobody was around, or at least thought so. "When will this end?" he asked nobody in particular and unsurprisingly got no answer. So the two watched their rivals fight and Pen-Pen continued to tease Shinji with Makoto and Akira knowledge. Lies, it was just Pen-Pen messing with him, all the bird did. When he got home just after supper, Misato was coming home and wanted supper.

They ate peacefully and watched some television together, Shinji enjoyed every minute of it. That was until an image of Shiki appeared on television, caught on a security camera after the Knight Saber fight and Pen-Pen stole the feather back from him. Misato commented at Shiki was lewd, Shinji sagely didn't say anything. Then it was game time and Misato drunkenly falling over the board on Shinji and fell asleep on him. Pen-Pen flashed a fin and nodded left Shinji to be Misato's cushion.

X-X

Notes

Trying to keep this a nice mix of humor and serious, don't want to much drama in this. So far the Anime/Manga referenced used are Sailor Moon, Madoka, Bubblegum Crisis, Witchblade, Tokyo Mew-Mew, Pretty Cure, Viper V16 and probably something I've forgotten.

Hope you're enjoying this odd liking this oddity and I'll keep finding time to write

Later

Mercaba


End file.
